Badge for the World's Columbian Exposition. Bronze. Choice Extremely Fine.

34.3 mm x 36.4 mm, without ribbon; approximately 108 mm long with ribbon. Pleasing brown color with an intact pinback, though the closure is slightly bent. This is a very unusual type of badge. We have only been able to find one other similar piece, that in a 2010 eBay listing. That badge was of an identical form but read WORLD'S COLUMBIAN COMMISSION instead of WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION, as seen here. It was also missing its original silk ribbon, which might have introduced some important context. The dark blue ribbon affixed here identifies it as belonging to the Chief of the Ethnology Department. The general form itself seems very rare, but as there were only 12 department chiefs associated with the Exposition, it is clear that there would have only been 12 issued exactly like this one.

Estimate: $250.00