COX & ROOSEVELT 1920 FIRST SEEN JUGATE POCKETKNIFE "ONE HUNDRED PERCENT WILSON."
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Winning Bid:
$4,543.00
(Includes 18% Buyer's Premium)
Bidding Ended:
Tuesday, November 15, 2022 9:00:00 PM (20 Minute Clock Begins At Tuesday, November 15, 2022 9:00:00 PM)
Item Description
Campaign items collectors need no introduction to the mystique of Cox & Roosevelt items and no doubt understand the magnitude of a never seen or publicly offered jugate artifact surfacing. Pin-back buttons featuring Cox & Roosevelt are considered the holy grail for button collectors and while their numbers are highly limited, most designs have a population much higher than this, likely unique, knife. Outside of two button designs known to be unique not even the 1.25" jugate button we recently sold for a world record $185,850, with a population of three known specimens, can compare to the astounding rarity of this artifact.
3.5" long w/"GRC Co. Chicago" on tang. Unusual over under portraits w/VP candidate FDR at top and horizontal image of White House at center. A most unusual slogan on reverse "Vote For Cox, He's A Hun, And One Hundred Per Cent Wilson" make this an especially exciting artifact of the 1920 Democratic campaign. Blades and bolsters have moderate wear from light use. Images remains strong w/superb contrast and clarity. Overall VF. While we have encountered a similar pocketknife and known straight razor those examples utilized a design like the Harding straight razor (see next lot). The only specimen we have encountered in our 55 years.
The perplexing slogan text including "Hun," connecting Cox to the term used by allied troops to describe WWI German soldiers, seems as likely to be intentional as it would be unintentional. Given the reference to Wilson and especially in light of Gov. Cox's support of a 1919 Ohio law banning all schools from teaching the German language, it seems unlikely that manufacturers would tie Cox to the recently defeated German army. We could find no evidence of Cox being of German descent but even without such a connection the slogan still connects to the 100% American Americanize America themes of the 1920 Democratic campaign. All in all, a tantalizing rarity that is likely the only extant.
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