Rare 1920 Cox-Roosevelt Americanize America Button Leads Hake’s Political Americana Auction

A rare 1920 presidential campaign button pairing James M. Cox with a young Franklin D. Roosevelt is expected to bring as much as $50,000 as Hake’s Auctions opens its latest Political Americana Premier Auction. The online sale, which runs through November 17, brings together historic presidential campaign buttons, Robert F. Kennedy and John F. Kennedy memorabilia and a selection of late 18th-century Anglo-American ceramics.

The headline item is a 1920 Cox & Roosevelt “Americanize America” jugate button, offered as Lot 324 with an estimate of $35,000 to $50,000. The pinback pairs Democratic presidential nominee James M. Cox with Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was 38 years old at the time and running for vice president. Hake’s says collectors have pursued Cox and Roosevelt jugates for decades, dating back at least to 1964, when one sold for more than $200 at the first convention of the American Political Items Collectors, an extraordinary price for a political button at the time.

What separates the example in the current auction is its “Americanize America” slogan. According to Hake’s, it is the only variety of the Cox and Roosevelt jugate carrying a slogan, adding another layer of scarcity to an already coveted piece of campaign memorabilia. “It’s always a privilege to offer a Cox and Roosevelt jugate and this specimen is the only variety carrying a slogan, making it even more tantalizing to collectors,” said Scott Mussell, Senior Director of Americana at Hake’s.

Several other early campaign buttons are among the featured lots. A 1932 “Prosperity with Roosevelt & Garner” button suspended from a ribbon carries a $5,000 to $7,000 estimate. Hake’s says an example was discovered years ago alongside three oval “July 4, 1932” Franklin Roosevelt and James Curley coattail buttons, suggesting the pieces were likely distributed at an early campaign rally shortly after Roosevelt and John Nance Garner were nominated.

A large 1916 Hughes & Fairbanks jugate button featuring stars-and-stripes graphics and ribbons reading “America First” and “Young Men’s Republican Club” is estimated at $4,000 to $6,000. A 1912 Theodore Roosevelt and Hiram Johnson Progressive Party button is expected to bring $2,000 to $4,000. The oversized 1¾-inch Roosevelt and Johnson piece incorporates the Bull Moose logo at the top, an American shield at the bottom and a portrait of Roosevelt that Hake’s describes as particularly desirable because of the button’s size, clarity and rarity.

One of the auction’s most historically significant pieces comes from Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign. A large-format Kennedy campaign poster bearing his autograph is estimated at $5,000 to $10,000. A young political memorabilia collector obtained the signature from Kennedy in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 4, 1968, after Kennedy won the California presidential primary and shortly before he was fatally shot. Hake’s says a photograph documents the collector getting the poster signed and describes it as almost certainly the final autograph Kennedy gave. “The fact that there’s a still photo of it happening only adds to the unique provenance connected to this sad, one-of-a-kind artifact,” Mussell said. The poster measures approximately 24½ by 37 inches and features a smiling portrait of Kennedy with his name printed prominently beneath it.

John F. Kennedy memorabilia is also represented by a rare four-inch “Jack Once More in ’64” campaign button estimated at $1,000 to $3,000. Another JFK item is an “Official Staff” laminated badge belonging to campaign advance man Jerry Bruno. Hake’s says Bruno used the badge during Kennedy’s 1960 campaign and later while serving as an aide to President Kennedy. The badge carries an estimate of $1,000 to $1,500.

The auction moves beyond campaign buttons and paper memorabilia with a group of Anglo-American ceramics from the Rex and Patti Stark Collection. Among the highlights is a circa-1790s polychrome Liverpool jug decorated with a ship, eagle and a scene depicting Lady Liberty with a profile portrait of George Washington. The nine-inch jug is estimated at $2,000 to $5,000. Another Liverpool jug from the same period features a George Washington transfer reading “The President of the United States” on one side and a ship-and-castle scene on the other. Hake’s describes it as one of only a few known and estimates it at $2,000 to $4,000.

Hake’s Political Americana Premier Auction #248 opened for bidding October 27 and will begin closing Tuesday, November 17 at 9:40 PM Eastern. The complete illustrated catalog and bidding information are available through Hake’s Auctions.