If you’re a collector of handkerchiefs, scarves or printed kitchen textiles, then you’ve probably come across some of Tammis Keefe’s wonderful and whimsical designs. Keefe was an American textile print designer who produced a large number of designs that are characterized by her vivid colors, fun and innovative designs and unique perspective.

Although she was quite prolific during her short life, you have to wonder what other fabulous designs she would have created had she lived longer. She was born Margaret Thomas Keefe in Los Angeles on Dec. 27, 1913 (there are numerous incorrect references on the Internet that say she was born in 1920). She died in Ridgefield, Conn., on June 5, 1960, at the very young age of 47 and at the height of her career.

Tammis Keefe did a series of linen towels and handkerchiefs with dog and cat themes. This momma cat and her kittens came in several different color schemes.

One of her more popular towel designs is Feed the Animals. Note the dancing monkey in a bell hop suite holding a tin cup with a parrot on his shoulder.

Keefe graduated from the Chouinard Art Institute (now part of the California Institute for the Arts) in Los Angeles and worked through the 1940s with Dorothy Wright Liebes in her San Francisco studio, which was well-known for its hand-woven fabrics. Liebes frequently used unusual, innovative materials, such as aluminum foil or Chinese grasses, in her weaving. Her fabrics were found in automobiles, bathing suits, lampshades, ships, airlines and hotels around the world. Considered one of the most successful textile designers in the world at the time, Liebes’ designs were often the basis for mass-produced machine woven fabrics. When Liebes opened a New York, studio in the late 1940s, Keefe moved east to work there.

Keefe designed many hankies with scenes from around the country, including San Francisco's Fisherman’s Wharf.

Keefe’s Delaware hanky, also available in several color schemes, is fairly easy to find around Delaware.

She also made several hankies that depicted scenes from New York City. This one is of the New York Public Library.

This is another handkerchief from Keefe's New York series, this one showing a street scene in Greenwich Village.

By 1949, Keefe had begun doing freelance design for other companies, including Lord and Taylor, and Kimball scarves. Keefe’s designs are most commonly found on women’s handkerchiefs and scarves, linen kitchen towels, tablecloths and cocktail napkins. She produced more than 200 towel designs alone. Some of her most popular designs depict animals with great whimsical personalities. Her holiday themes are also popular. She did a number of designs for famous places throughout the country, such as Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. While in New York, she produced a New York series of handkerchiefs that is still very sought after today.

Keefe would sometimes use the pseudonym Peg Thomas on her designs. It’s not unusual to find pieces, particularly handkerchiefs, signed with this name.

Although harder to find, Keefe did a number of tablecloth designs. This one has Cattle on Parade, with the different beef cows sporting different hats and signs for cuts of beef.

One of the few quotes in which Keefe talks about her designs appeared in a 1948 issue of American Fabrics. “Whenever possible, I like to introduce the three-dimensional in prints. I like ‘depth’ in a fabric. I also like the introduction of current objects treated artistically. Warm colors are my favorites—beige, tan with the addition of some cool color for relief.”

Keefe's handkerchiefs and towels with holiday themes are the easiest to find.

Other holiday handkerchiefs featured reindeer and ornaments, like this one.

Keefe spent the last four years of her life in Ridgefield, where she lived with her good friend Jane Trahey. As businesswoman, Trahey was also a maverick for her time. She owned and ran a well-known New York advertising agency, Jane Trahey and Associates, which was prominent in fashion and cosmetic advertising. Not only was her agency one of the first women-owned agencies in New York, but Trahey was the first woman to earn $1 million in advertising. She was very vocal and involved in women’s issues and was an early leader of the National Organization of Women.

This is one of several different handkerchiefs in Keefe’s Persian series.

Keefe’s signed linens command a high price, particularly items that are unused and still retain the original label. Animal, holiday and geographic designs tend to be the most collected. Look for examples in good condition and with good color. Often pieces signed Peg Thomas bring less, since few people realize this was Keefe’s pseudonym.

Lynda Kolski is a Worthologist who specializes in vintage textiles.

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Examples of Bakelite

It started with a cardboard box at a garage sale purchased for $1. In the box was a plastic jewelry set—a bracelet, ring and earrings—all in polka dots. That was the beginning of Maggie Turnipseed’s collecting Bakelite plastics. “There is something about the quality of the pieces. They are very smooth, and they come in a rainbow of colors,” said Turnipseed, a WorthPoint expert on a wide spectrum of collectibles and antiques from hatpins to Victorian jewelry to cast-iron doorstops.

“I wish I could collect just one thing, but I am always finding something new,” said Turnipseed, who is an antique dealer and an accredited appraiser of antiques and residential contents with the International Society of Appraisers. Her specialties are decorative arts, Victoriana, Victorian and Edwardian jewelry, American art pottery and Mexican sterling.

Bakelite wasn’t in her résumé, but Turnipseed applied her tried-and-true technique to the new collectible. “That’s how I usually start. I buy something that catches my eye, and then I try to learn everything I can about it,” she said. “The learning is the most fun.” For Maggie’s blog on Bakelite, click here.

It all began in the 1970s when as a college student Turnipseed became fascinated with hatpins. The pins at 9 to 18 inches (big enough to secure a large hat in thickly piled hair) were stylish and often decorated with gemstones and porcelain. “They were part of an elegant age, although they were really made to hold on a hat,” Turnipseed said.

Antique hatpins

Collecting something as small and obscure as a hatpin in the days before the Internet was a challenge, but over the years, Turnipseed continued gathering them, and today some hatpins sell for thousands of dollars. For more information on them, visit the American Hatpin Society.

From hatpins, Turnipseed moved on to chatelaines, purses worn on the waist that are the forerunner of the lady’s handbag; tussie-mussies, cone-shaped, flower holders carried by Victorian ladies; tea balls, the delicate, little metal-and-silver infusers for brewing tea; and Victorian jewelry.

Chatelaine

“If there is a theme here, they are all very feminine items from the Victorian and Art Nouveaux eras,” Turnipseed said. They can also be described as the art and artifact of a genteel lifestyle now long gone.

The tussie-mussie, or nosegay, for example, had both practical and romantic applications. In the more odiferous Victorian Age, a time of soot, open sewers and carriage-horse droppings, the nosegay, held in hand by a finger ring, could provide a scented burst of relief. The flowers were also signs and symbols—the Langue of Flowers it was called. Pansies signified loving thoughts, mint warm feelings, ivy friendship. “Just think of putting the wrong flower in your tussie-mussie and sending the wrong message!” Turnipseed said. Click here to learn more about tussie-mussies.

A tussie-mussie

Among Turnipseed’s newest collections is Victorian jewelry, which just like the Bakelite, began with acquiring a few random pieces that caught her eye. “It is the story of my life. I go to an antique show and get distracted. I should wear blinders,” she said.

Again, as she did with Bakelite, Turnipseed embarked on the study of Victorian jewelry, collecting books and price guides. “You just read and read,” she said. “The Internet has also made a big different because now you can see pictures of so many items.”

At the moment, Victorian jewelry and Victoriana are a buyer’s market. “Victoriana just is not ‘it’ right now,” Turnipseed said. It is a cautionary tale of the fickle nature of the collectibles market. “Art Deco and midcentury are hotter because that is what the young are collecting, if they are collecting at all.”

So Victoriana may be in that soft spot between really old and rare and really trendy and really a good buy. “I am hanging on to my collection,” Turnipseed said. “One day the market will turn. I’m betting on it.”

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Iroquois Purses

By Dolores Elliott

Multicolored beaded flat purses are the most common form of Iroquois beadwork. They are easily recognized because they have brightly colored flowers beaded on both sides, and both sides are usually identical or very similar. At least ten different colored beads are usually used in two shades of five different colors: pink/red, yellow/amber, bright blue/ light blue, dark green/light green, white/clear. Almost all the purses have all the colors. The shades of the color vary, but they almost always have flowers in those colors. Most people, Indian and not, recognize these purses as being Iroquois-made.

These purses were made from the second quarter of the 19th century until the end of that century. The majority of these purses are so similar it might be thought that one person made them all, but that is not likely as they were made over a period of 75 years. It is estimated that over ten thousand of these purses were made. But if one person did not make them all, and no identical purses have been observed, how can they be so similar?

These flat purses are made by cutting four pieces of cardboard or heavy paper for the body and the flaps. Either black or dark brown velvet is attached to the backing. The design is beaded on to each of the four pieces. Flowers often have paper patterns so the needle had to penetrate three layers: the pattern, the velvet, and the stiffening material (thick paper, double newsprint, or cardboard).

The two body pieces and the two flaps are usually beaded with almost identical designs on each side of the purse. Each flap is lined with polished cotton and is attached to the top of the body piece. Then a fabric lining is sewn over the backing on the inside of the purse pieces. This lining covers up the stitches on the back of the beading. Then the two bodies with flaps attached are sewn together around the whole body, except for across the top, which is left open. Unless the purse is attached to a metal handle, there is no way to close the mouth of the purse. Sometimes a small slit is cut into the velvet under one of the flaps. The slit is lined and attached to a small pocket that some people think was meant to store a comb. A binding is sewn onto the edges of the purse body to cover the edges of each side. The binding is usually red but it is sometimes green, blue, or black.

A binding, which is often a delicate silk, is also sewn across each side of the mouth. It is usually a different binding than that used around the body of the purse.

Some purses are also decorated by a beaded fringe along the edge of the purse, attached to the binding. The fringe is often made of loops of smaller beads than the ones used on the faces of the purse. The edges of the flaps are also beaded but often with beads larger than the ones used on the rest of the purse. This is most obvious on the flaps where the beads outlining the flaps are almost always smaller than the beads that outline the flaps. Both sides of the purse are identical or almost identical with only small variations in bead color placement.

There are five basic shapes of these bags. Some are the urn-shaped, some hexagon-shaped, some rocker-shaped, some scalloped, and some the classic-shape. The classic shaped bag is the most common. Sometimes the beadwork is attached to a larger silk bag to make the purse look more elegant, as a ribbon handle and bead fringe make a pretty purse.

It is rare to find a purse with two flaps on each side, but there are some. There are also some purses that have no flap but only a line of beads indicating where a flap would be. A few purses have metal closures across the mouth. Some appear to be homemade, perhaps on the reservation. Others appear to be commercial closures made out of a stamped metal.

Antique sellers and museum provenience records sometimes identify these bags as “probably Tuscarora,” but I think that they were more likely made by Mohawk bead workers. One reason is that in at least one purse the paper stiffening is a French language Montreal newspaper. Montreal is close to three Mohawk reservations. Another reason is that just as on the purses, the Mohawks preferred the repeated four-color motif on their pincushions and picture frames. The purses almost always used this color scheme. One type of purse that features bird-like images is frequently identified as Tuscarora-made, claiming that the birds are images of Carolina parakeets that the Tuscaroras left in their homes when they moved north to join the Iroquois Confederacy. I think this is a recently created myth and that all of these purses were made by Mohawk bead workers.

There are several photographs of women selling beadwork at Niagara Falls, and others showing people selling Mohawk beadwork. There are no floral purses included in the photographs. So, the photos do not help us to discover where the purses were made. Maybe we will never know.

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Thank You,

Wanda

Here are a couple of inro that are going up for auction at the Kogirekai auction house in Kyoto on the 15th. and 16th. of this month.
The first one is a two compartment inro that comes with a box. The size is 3.5cm by 1.2cm by 5cm. The minimum price is 45,000 yen.
The second one is a small inro. It has a netsuke attached. The size is 3.8cm by 1.5cm by 5.5cm. There is a small scratch on it. The minimum price is 25,000 yen.

Throughout presidential campaigns, especially in the 19th century, many unusual items have been offered with the images of the leading candidates and their campaign slogans. This is a silk scarf created for the 1892 campaign of Grover Cleveland and Adlai E. Stevenson. (Stevenson was the grandfather of the Democratic standard bearer in 1952 and 1956, Adlai Stevenson.) It shows the images of both candidates and the slogan of “Tariff Reform.” Somewhat scarce in such good condition, what was the final auction price realized in 2005?

A. $176
B. $90
C. $252

WorthPoint’s political-collectibles specialists—Jim Warlick, Tom Carrier and John Olsen—are set to test your knowledge. Answer the questions below, and win a round of applause if you do well.

A. $33
B. $129
C. $12

This campaign featured Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland. Incumbent president Grover Cleveland won the popular vote that year but lost the electoral vote, something that wouldn’t happen again until 2000. This League of Women Voters-type guide sets up the campaign issues rather well. What was the final bid price for this campaign piece of ephemera as realized by Proxibid in 2006?

A. $26.25
B. $12.50
C. $7.50

This Young Republican 1-inch pinback button is just one of many different, but distinctive designs that incorporate the sunflower. When it was auctioned by Proxibid in 2007, what was the final hammer price?

A. $26
B. $5
C. $12

A. $565
B. $725
C. $1,100

John C. Fremont, known as the Great Pathfinder, was the very first candidate for president nominated by the new Republican Party in 1856. He lost to James Buchanan. This lot of three items are from his 1856 presidential campaign—a printed silk ribbon in black on white, a Carte de Visite (CDV) of a uniformed engraving of Fremont with printed signature and an 8-foot brass campaign token of Fremont with the legend “Fremont Born Jan. 21, 1813” on the obverse and a winged eagle atop a globe with “Our Country” surrounded by 13 stars on the reverse. It probably isn’t fair to include all three items, except this is how it was sold as a lot. What is the value of these three items by Cowan’s Auctions in 2005?

A. $1,010
B. $345
C. $565

Issue campaign buttons, like this Votes For Women, are very collectible. While various countries and colonies gave women the vote very early, the United States gave suffrage to women only after the adoption of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution in 1920. This plain green-and-black celluloid pinback button dates from 1918 and is in rather good condition overall. What was the final hammer on this button sold by Proxibid in 2006?

A. $36
B. $12
C. $15

Theodore Roosevelt is a highly collectible political figure. This pinback button shows a hand holding five cards. One has a picture of Teddy Roosevelt, and the other four cards have slogans that say “Sound Money,” “Expansion,” “Protection” and “Prosperity.” At the bottom is “Stand Pat!” The reverse shows that the button is “Compliments of ‘The Hub’ Ogden, Utah.” What was the final auction price by Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles in 2008 for this Theodore Roosevelt pinback?

A. $327
B. $200
C. $76

William Jennings Bryan was a pivotal presidential candidate in 1896, spotlighting the difficulties of the everyman in everyday life. He advocated changing the country to a silver standard where there would be 16 ounces of silver coinage for every ounce of gold. Although he did not succeed, his slogan, “16 to 1,” still resonates as a powerful populist message.

This large 1.75-foot William Jennings Bryan clock-faced button has the clock hands pointed to the time of 16 to 1 to illustrate the main issue of this campaign. What was Cowan’s final auction price in 2004?

A. $751
B. $479
C. $1,380

JFK was the first president to wear cufflinks that showed the presidential seal on the obverse and an engraved presidential signature on the reverse. Presidents Nixon and Johnson gave them away as gifts. This tie clip was issued as an official presidential gift by Richard Nixon in the 1970s. What is its value?

A. $50
B. $125
C. $225

In the 19th century, presidential campaigns relied on decorative and elaborate banners to ballyhoo their candidates. They were carried through the streets in large parades, hung on buildings or across broad avenues in big cities. This particular campaign banner is from the 1845 presidential campaign of James K. Polk and George M. Dallas. What is the most recent auction value for this historic memorabilia?

A. $225
B. $522
C. $378

Vari-Vu was a political button maker that used a unique twist. Turn its button one way, and you saw an image. Turn it another way for another image or slogan. This is called a flasher button in the trade. This particular flasher button was used in the 1956 Eisenhower campaign. It shows a grinning Eisenhower and the slogan “Win with Ike.” What is the value of this button?

A. $35 to $45
B. $75 to $95
C. $20 to $30

One of the easiest ways to commemorate a political event is with a postcard such as this one from the 1908 Democratic National Convention in Denver. The DNC was again held in Denver exactly 100 years later. The 1908 Democratic nominee was William Jennings Bryan, who is shown on this card riding a donkey into Denver with the slogan “Our Turn Next.” What is the value of this colorized postcard?

A. $20 to $30
B. $15 to $20
C. $7 to $12

And the answers are:
American Politics guide B. $12.50
Presidential paperweights A. $33 for both
Alf Landon pinback B. $5
1908 Yates Republican collection C. $1,100
Fremont campaign B. $345
Women’s suffrage button C. $15
Teddy Roosevelt button Answer: B. $200
William Jennings Bryan C. $1,380
Nixon Tie Clip C. $225
Polk/Dallas B. $522
Win with Ike Because it is not particularly scarce, it’s C. $20 to $30, when in good condition
1908 William Jennings Bryan Not particularly scarce, but still unusual, the value is: C. $7 to $12

How did you do?

None right. Don’t despair. Visiting WorthPoint will take you to the top of the political-collectibles class in no time.

One right. One’s better than none. Try, try again.

Two right. Good job, but keep learning. WorthPoint is a great resource.

Three right. You’re practically at the top of the class. Aim for a perfect score next time.

Four right. A wow.

Five right. A double wow.

Six right. That’s an impressive score.

Seven right. Excellent.

Eight right. You may be a grandmaster of political-collectibles knowledge.

Nine right. Only one word describes this—UNBELIEVABLE

Ten right. You, my friend, you’re off the charts.

Eleven right. We are in awe.
Twelve right. Is there no stopping you?

Watch for more What’s It Worth quizzes on WorthPoint—the premier Web site for art, antiques and collectibles.

Hat Pins, a Deadly Weapon?
In the 1890‘s enormous hair and hats was all the rage. Hatpins/Hat pins were made not for style but out of necessity. Up to 6 hatpins could be used at one time, some being up to eighteen inches long, to make sure that a fashionable woman with her hair in an up do and her chapeau did not have any issues with the wind. The bigger the hair do resulted in even bigger hats.

Imagine what it would have been like when a Judge passed a law that limited the length of one’s hat pin. That’s exactly what happened in 1908; a judge ruled that the length of a hat pin could not exceed the length of nine inches. The courts were afraid that suffragettes would use their hatpins as weapons. Many women had to cut length off their hatpins and trim the size of their hats to stay within the laws. Today a hat pin is still considered a concealed weapon in the city of Chicago.

Collecting antique hat pins can be rewarding. Make sure that you take the time to research and learn about them before you buy as there have been reproductions made for years. Hatpins can range in value from $20. up to the $1000’s A great source of information is The American Hatpin Society http//americanhatpinsociety.com

Collectors of vintage hat pins often also collect hat pin holders, which are recognized by their series of tiny holes for keeping a wide range of pins at hand on a lady’s vanity for all occasions. Often made of porcelain or metal, these holders can sometimes sell for thousands of dollars at auctions or estate sales.

It’s called a Tussie Mussie, a Posey Holder, Nose Gay, or a Porte-Bouque. The names are different, but they are the same thing – a small, cone-shaped flower holder that holds a very small bouquet.

This antique lady’s accessory usually was made of silver or other metals, or, in its simplest form, a wrapping of lace and ribbon around the flowers themselves. A long pin held the flowers in place. Most had a finger ring that allowed the Posey Holder to dangle while ladies attended to other duties.

These accessories were created in medieval times, but became widely used in the Victorian Era. There were practical reasons for a lady carry a tussie mussie (or tussy mussy) beyond a love of flowers. Personal hygiene was not a priority and public sanitation was poor. A walk down the city street was much like a walk down an open sewer. Women would hold these tiny, fresh nosegays close to their faces to sniff the fragrant leaves and mask the odors of their surroundings.

What a lady carried in her tussie mussie was important, too. Flower appreciation (sometimes formally known as The Language of Flowers) was a course offered in Ladies finishing schools. There was meaning or symbolism associated with each and every flower, leaf or herb included in a bouquet. It was very important for that young lady to know the meaning or the message behind the flowers that her admirer sent. Victorian brides often walked down the aisle carrying these elaborate and beautiful bouquets.

For collectors today, the tussie mussie is a desirable antique. An exceptional example made of silver and semi-precious stones may sell for $1,000 or more. There are attractive silver-plated reproductions that are useable for $25 or less, and could also be the starting point for your collection.

Some flowers and their meanings:
• Basil – Best Wishes;
• Rose – Congratulations, Love;
• Ivy – Friendship;
• Lavender – Success, Luck and Happiness;
• Three Leaf Clover – The Holy Trinity;
• Mint – Warmth of Feelings;
• Pansy – Loving Thoughts.

Nowadays, you might see a man with a purse or handbag, but in yesteryear, it was the genteel women who carried these small purses. And for good reason. You might not know why they carried them or what they contained, but often times it was for protection. Remember in the old time Westerns when the lady would have that small derringer hidden in her carrying bag? Many a man was surprised when she pulled it out and had the drop on that rough and tuff cowboy. These small hand bags were also a perfect place to hide that knife just in case it was needed.

I also can envision the women of the evening sneaking that small vial out of her purse, ready to spike the drink of an unsuspecting gentleman. Waking the next morning, he might be minus his jewelry and money. Of course, he usually couldn’t report it to the authorities out of fear his wife would discover his indiscretion. Another reason for the young lass to carry that small purse was to have a place to stash a small amount of money, should she find herself in a place she wanted to quickly exit from.

Beautifully crafted handbags were later used to accent evening ware, and often contained a powder compact. Later, a mirror often was included in a new handbag. Many of these handbags were exquisitely crafted and small pieces of art in themselves. They came in as many styles as the imagination could dream up. Metal, tapestry, wood, beads, glass, Bakelite, and many other materials were used in their production. I have even seen purses that were hand painted and would qualify as real works of art

I remember a house sale I attended that I could barely find anything worthwhile, until I found a beautiful beaded purse in the basement. Never having bought a purse before, I had no idea what it was worth, but I had never seen anything like it. I figured it wasn’t very common, so I approached the lady conducting the sale and ask what the price was. She asked me what I’d pay for it. Not wanting to bid too little and have it refused, I offered her $25. She countered with $35 and I said, “Sold.” I couldn’t wait to get home to discover if I had a treasure or not. I didn’t find anything like my bag in any of the price guides, but I felt fairly certain that the purse would prove to be a great find.

I listed it on eBay and got a final price that was a little over $500. Not bad for a $35 investment. I have to admit, I will never be ashamed to say I owned a purse again.

But purses and handbags go back even further in history than what I’ve discussed here. The use of handbags and purses probably goes back to before human history was even recorded. A concept of a purse or a handbag comes from the pouches used in tribal societies. Many times pouches were used for carrying things like seeds, herbs for medicine, and amulets. Tribal “witch doctors” and priests carried pouches and often contained the secret items they used in rituals.

One great book for reading more about the history of purses and pouches is called Carried Away: All About Bags.
____

I am author of the book “31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles” and leader of its spin-off, The 31 Club. The club teaches wealth building by buying, selling and reinvesting in antiques, collectibles and art. Our members’ goals are to build an account large enough to retire on in style. Each member has their own definition of what that is, and we help them get there. Why not take a look at what we’re doing and join the club? When you join, my book is FREE! www.31corp.com

Visit our website for our DAILY Blog at www.31corp.com and come and learn with us.

Recently on Ebay I noticed an unusual change to the official seal of the vice president, 50 gold stars surrounding the central eagle on a white background. Everything was correct except for the 50 gold stars.

According to Executive Order 11884 creating the official seal of the Vice President on October 7, 1975, the seal of the vice president did not authorize stars surrounding the eagle. Only the seal of the president shows that.

Perplexed and wondering if there was an official change, I contacted the military office of the vice president which handles the official seal and I was assured that no change to the official seal of the vice president has been authorized or contemplated at this time.

Therefore, the cuff links shown on Ebay as official are not official government-issue cuff links. In fact, it is very difficult to get a pair of cuff links engraved with the signature of Vice President Dick Cheney on the reverse. His office simply does not give them out on any consistent basis. So much so, that I don’t even have a photo to put up along side the one’s above for comparison. The official seal of the Vice President will have to represent the cuff links for now to show that a circle of stars do not surround the eagle.

Simply stated, the official white ‘cobalt’ cuff links of Vice President Dick Cheney do not show the circle of stars around the eagle. Any internet buyer or collector should be wary of any attempt to insist that these are official. It is also very difficult to find official presidential or vice presidential cufflinks or other jewelry at a price of only $45 or so. Their retail or collector value is usually around $200 a set and more.

You look good. Very good. Crisp, white shirt with cobalt blue studs and cobalt blue, official presidential George W. Bush cuff links to match. Black tie and tux. Wonderful overcoat and cashmere scarf. Your new shoes shined to perfection. Limousine waiting. Your date is matching perfection. Ready to attend the President’s State of the Union speech? Good. Tell me, though, are you wearing the real George W. Bush?

What, you ask? Your cuff links, of course. There is an 8 to 1 chance that your cuff links are a knockoff. If you so much as attempt to show them off with your State of the Union buddies, they will know. You don’t need that, so let me show you how I know your cuff links aren’t authentic – just so you know.

First of all, look at the box they came in. Official presidential cuff links are not packaged in a plush, dark blue leatherette case with gold trim and a gold, silkscreen, presidential coat-of-arms inside. Second, the outer, dark blue, cardboard box with the same gold, silkscreen coat-of-arms isn’t authentic either. Your cuff links, my friend, were probably reproduced by an offshore, commercial company and sold to outlet stores, on online auctions, and directly to collectors as authentic — but are really what we euphemistically label as ‘commemoratives.’ Or reproductions. Or fakes.

The cobalt blue, presidential cuff link was introduced by Richard Nixon in the 1970s. They are very stylish with the dark blue background and raised, bas relief presidential eagle in gold, surrounded by 50 inlaid gold stars and gold roping around the edge (the early ones from Nixon to Reagan didn’t have this roping). These early ones are extremely rare. Presidents gave sets of these special cuff links only to the most deserving of individuals. Still do. There are other styles of cuff links that are given out more often, but not these.

Because of their rarity and beauty, these cobalt blue, presidential cuff links proved more popular. Everyone had to have them. So I can see why you would want them. And so, beginning in Bill Clinton’s second term or so, we’ve noticed that this most rare of presidential gifts was becoming rather plentiful. They were being offered everywhere all of a sudden at very high prices. How come? They were being manufactured and made available outside official channels.

So, what do the real ones look like, you ask? Quite the same, I’m afraid. I said they look alike, but you can tell the difference easily. First of all, the authentic cuff link itself is heavier and thicker than the ‘commemorative’ ones. On the reverse side, the signatures of George W. Bush are supposed to be engraved horizontally, not curved like yours are. The ‘G’ and the ‘W’ are not connected, they are separate. The correct, engraved signature connects the ‘G’ and the ‘W’.

Therefore, you now have five ways to tell whether your cuff links are ‘commemorative’ rather than authentic.

- One, the inner box is not supposed to be a dark blue leatherette,
- Two, the outer box is not supposed to be a dark blue cardboard,
- Three, the cuff link is very light in weight and smaller,
- Four, the signature is curved instead of horizontal, and
- Five, the ‘G’ and the ‘W’ are separated.

Wait, I didn’t say how the real cuff links are packaged? You’re right. I didn’t. Just like the program ‘McGyver’, they always left out one important step so their on-screen escape sequences couldn’t be duplicated at home. I’m going to be like McGyver and not show you what kind of box the authentic cuff links come in so they won’t be duplicated and be confused with the authentic ones. Sorry.

Still, wear the ‘commemoratives.’ Nothing wrong with that. They look great on you. Just don’t show off, that’s all. Those with the real things will know.

But, if you are caught with that “knowing look,’ you might say that, yes, these cuff links are great, aren’t they? Well, they aren’t the real things, of course. No, I don’t want to wear my real ones outside in case they might be lost or damaged. Much like your date’s diamond necklace. Then, move fast.

NOTE: If you are paying less than $100 for a pair of presidential cobalt cuff links, they are fake. Authentic cobalt presidential cuff links are very rare and can cost upwards of $250 a pair. Also, any president before Richard Nixon did not produce cobalt cuff links. Lastly, sometimes the manufacturer ‘forgets’ to remove the small piece of metal between the eagle’s wings and the olive branch and between the eagle’s wing and the arrows of war, like the photo above found on Ebay. That is a sure sign that the cuff links are ‘commemorative.’

Confederate belt buckles can be valued at thousands of dollars – a fact which has spurred an interesting pastime – digging for buckles. While record collectors refer to searching for valuable vinyl at stores or sales as “digging in the crates,” “digging for buckles” in the southern United States literally means grabbing a shovel and unearthing a specific part of, say Tennessee, for example.

This excerpt was taken from a fine article called “Collecting Confederate Belt Buckles” by Amanda Young (http://www.go-star.com/antiquing/confedbuckles.htm):

“Digging for buckles requires patience, knowledge, and even a bit of luck. About a month ago, Steve and others were digging for buckles in Dallas, GA when one of his fellow diggers recovered a square buckle with rounded edges 15 feet away from where Steve was searching. The worth of the buckle ended up being around $4,000. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of where you’re standing.”

Belt buckles, like jewelry, are gender specific and generally easy to maintain or to restore. Masculine lifestyles are reflected through personalized buckles of various time periods that often are representative of an occupation, region, or organization.

Military, police, fire service, western, and youth group buckles have long been popular belt buckle themes. Rarer, are multi-function buckles containing cigarette lighters, knives, and guns. Secret groups like the Masons had their own buckles and so did the Secret Service. Boy Scout buckles can be a collection in itself, as can cowboy buckles.

Men’s buckles are often regional – Mexican belt buckles are a distinct tradition and Japanese art buckles are interesting as well. Confederate buckles are quite the collector’s item.

In the first inauguration of a freely chosen president of the United States in 1789, President-elect George Washington appeared in  New York “…dressed in deep brown, with metal buttons, with an eagle on them…”, according to William Maclay, a Pennsylvania Senator.   As would happen in decades to come, merchants saw a chance to sell souvenirs of the occasion and they would be clothing buttons similar to the ones worn by the president-elect.  Many versions were created.  Some carried Washington’s initials “GW”, others had slogans such as “Long Live the President”, or designs of eagles and stars.  One popular version was a link of thirteen chains representing the original thirteen states at the time.  The photo shows a few of the designs from a collection since sold at auction.  To find an authentic 1789 inaugural clothing button takes a very special knowledge of the many designs.  Visit http://moscow2.pld.com/kirk/CobbGW/FULD.TXT for a quick course and a complete PDF format of the clothing buttons known to exist.   Be aware.  There are many reproductions being sold as authentic on public as well as private auctions and sales.  However, a true original could bring $2500 to $4500 at auction.  Some common ones are still available for several hundred dollars, though.

The next pair are considered true 1st pattern because they actually saw a fair amount of use in Vietnam. They resemble the later jungle boots with the exception of the following differences:
I. They were issued with shoe laces rather than round boot laces
II. The metal vent grommets on the sides are inverted and concave
III. They lack nylon web ankle and other reinforcements
IV. They have black leather trim across the top of the boot and up the back of the heel

The pair in my collection is dated 1962, but most found are 1963 dated.

The 2nd pattern jungle boots are similar to 1st pattern with the exception of the following changes:
I. The metal vent grommets are no longer concave and inverted. They resemble the vent grommets on all later patterns.
II. They no longer have black leather trim across the top of the boot and up the back of the heel. The leather is now replaced with nylon web.

The pair I have in my collection are 1965 dated, but I’ve had examples that were 1964 dated.

The 3rd pattern jungle boots have the following changes:
I. They are now issued with boot laces (rather than the shoe laces)
II. They have nylon web ankle reinforcements
III. They began to have spike resistant soles to protect the feet from punji sticks. Some boots have this feature while others do not.

The pairs I have in my collection are dated between 1966 and 1968.

The 4th pattern jungle boots incorporated a “Panama” sole to replace the waffle sole.

There are some subtle differences within the various models, but that is due to manufacture differences and my point is to illustrate the major differences.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.