7/8" w/W&H back paper. Quite simply, this is one of the finest known examples of the legendary Cox & Roosevelt jugate—the undisputed crown jewel of political campaign buttons. This browntone variety exhibits superb centering, trivial hairline surface wear only seen under magnification, and exceptional construction quality easily grading to NM and being essentially an unimprovable example among the finest extant. Roger Richert Collection.
A note from Americana Director Scott Mussell: The Cox & Roosevelt jugate occupies a place in the pantheon of collecting legends akin to Action Comics #1, the Honus Wagner T206, or the more recent entry Star Wars Rocket-Firing Boba Fett—an object whose reputation transcends its category. Over the years, we’ve set record prices for five of the eight known varieties, with the remaining three existing only as unique specimens never offered publicly. The big brother 1.25" variety of this same design set a world auction record for any pin-back button in our March 2022 sale at $185,850.  
For jugate collectors, filling the 1920 Democratic ticket is the ultimate challenge. While other campaign jugates—some even rare—can be found with patience and means, this one stands apart. Whether due to tight campaign budgets, the difficulty of obtaining a suitable portrait of a young Franklin D. Roosevelt, or other constraints, production was extraordinarily limited. Surviving examples are believed to be manufacturer’s samples, not mass-issued buttons. In six decades of searching, no more than three have ever surfaced together.
Its first record-setting sale in 1964 for over $200 didn’t just make headlines—it changed the hobby forever, setting a new standard for what political memorabilia could represent. Since then, the Cox/FDR jugate has become the final milestone for advanced collectors, the piece that defines a truly great collection.
Opportunities to acquire a top-grade example are infrequent. Whether you’re adding to an already elite collection or making the leap into collecting history at its highest level, this offering represents a rare opportunity to secure one of the most iconic artifacts of American political campaigning.