Political Collectibles

History is often told through the grand detritus of the political sphere—the tombs of Egypt’s great Pharaohs, the ruins of the Roman Forum—as well as smaller artifacts like the gun used to kill President Abraham Lincoln or a pair of silk slippers belonging to Marie Antoinette, Queen of France. Slightly more accessible political collectibles include documents and photographs autographed by major figures or souvenirs salvaged from historic places, such as small pieces of Plymouth Rock or chunks of the Berlin Wall. However, many of the more mundane objects related to public service are also prized as valuable relics, including campaign ephemera, protest signs, union documents, state letterheads, military flags, and government propaganda. Since George Washington’s inauguration in 1789, campaigns were often advertised with small metal tokens, typically embossed with a candidate’s name and slogan along with a bust of the politician or another symbolic image. Many of these tokens were designed to be worn as buttons, pendants, or pinback badges. During the American financial crisis beginning around 1833, Hard Times tokens were used as a substitute for U.S. currency at specific businesses. These tokens often ridiculed President Andrew Jackson and his successor, Martin Van Buren, for their role in the country’s economic slump. Campaign memorabilia encompasses all kinds of wearable objects, including ribbons, bandanas, convention badges, handkerchiefs, jewelry, neckties, hats, belt buckles, canes, watch fobs, and t-shirts. Perhaps the most prolific political collectible is the pinback button, which took its modern form after transparent celluloid was developed in the 1890s. The design exploded in popularity during the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, with colorful pins declaring approval or distaste for popular candidates like Theodore Roosevelt, William McKinley, and William Jennings Bryan. As photographic technology improved during the mid-19th century, daguerrotypes, ferrotypes, carte-de-visites, microphotographic Stanhopes, and stereoviews were all used to garner support for certain politicians. Campaigns ventured into the family dining room via decorative plates, mugs, glasses, trays, salt-and-pepper shakers, and more. Eventually, even children were indoctrinated with political-themed toys like a late-1970s wind-up peanut resembling Jimmy Carter or a set of 1981 paper dolls featuring Nancy and Ronald Reagan. Political ephemera frequently speaks to evolving public norms, from items related to the defunct tradition of pre-election torchlight parades to objects advertising third-party challengers like the Whigs or the Progressives. But public service has never been limited to bureaucrats and elected officials, and many political collectors are more interested in objects linked to groups like labor unions, police, NASA, firefighters, and the military. Still others focus on private service organizations, from the Lions Club International to the Freemasons, which are designed to support public initiatives including literacy, healthcare, environmental conservation, and support for the homeless. Many collectors have focused on the role of women in politics, whether through items related to women’s suffrage, first ladies, or female candidates for office. Remnants of protest movements and social change are also popular, such as those connected to the Abolitionist, Women’s Rights, Civil Rights, Indigenous Rights, Disability Rights, and LGBTQ movements. And don’t forget the global obsession with royalty, like souvenirs from Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee or the coronation of Russia’s Tsar Nicholas II. Even in a country like the United States, which has never been a monarchy, items associated with dynastic political families like Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Bushes continue to fascinate and accrue value.