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Liberty Loan of 1917 Button

National Museum of American History

Object Details

Description (Brief)
Round Liberty Loan button. The button is red with a blue border. White print on the border reads “Get Behind The Government.” White print on the red portion reads “Liberty Loan of 1917” and is cut across by a blue and white image of the Statue of Liberty.
Liberty Loans were part of the U.S. government’s effort to sell war bonds (also known as Liberty Bonds) during World War I to defray the expense of war. These bonds were issued by the U.S. Treasury. The First Liberty Bond Act was passed by Congress on April 24, 1917, and the bonds began issuance shortly thereafter.
Much like the use of military insignia to identify its wearer (by association with an organization) and his/her achievements, these pins and buttons were meant to be worn by Americans on the home front during World War I to show their membership in an organization and/or their contribution to a particular war effort, such as the United War Work Campaign. The pins and buttons displayed the wearer’s patriotism and generosity and undoubtedly also served to prompt others to become similarly involved in the various war efforts.
SOURCE:
Treasury Department, Liberty Loan Acts (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1921). books.google.com/books?id=4qFAAAAAYAAJ.
Location
Currently not on view
1917
ID Number
2006.0098.0311
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0311
Object Name
button
Physical Description
cellulose nitrate (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 2 cm; 13/16 in
overall: 3/16 in x 7/8 in; .47625 cm x 2.2225 cm
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Chemistry
Clothing & Accessories
Military
Advertising
World War I Pins & Buttons
National Museum of American History
Record ID
nmah_1317532
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ab-f5f0-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Related Content

  • 1917: A Year in the Collections

  • The Statue of Liberty

  • World War I Collection Sampler

  • Women in World War I

    American History Museum
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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