Historical Background
Lapel pins were quite fashionable in the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Watch fobs were another novelty item. It was a way for politicians to advertise themselves and the issues.
The currency standard was a major issue in the 1896 election between William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan. McKinley, a Republican, favored gold, while Bryan, a Democrat, favored free silver. Gold and silver bug pins were worn as symbols to represent a person's position on the issue.
This exhibit of pins and watch fobs is courtesy of the Macy Hallock collection.
 |  |  |  |  |
| McKinley Gold Bug 1896 | McKinley Coal Scuttle 1896 | Gold & Silver Bugs 1896 | McKinley Eagle 1900 | Wet Party 1904 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |  |
| McKinley - Hobart 1896 | Bryan 1908 | Taft 1908 | Bryan 1908 | Taft 1908 |
