In the past, we considered this the likely first ever character premium badge as it was offered January 1900 in the publication "Tip Top Weekly" which began publication in 1896 by Street & Smith. However, our previous 2 items, while we cannot date them precisely, do perhaps precede this item by at least a few months. This brass badge is 2-3/8" tall and was available for two coupons and ten cents or twenty cents or the equivalent in stamps if the person ordering was a "Member" (reader) but if not, the cost was 50¢. The example here is our third seen with its top segment complete. This segment has just a little tarnish loss off the top center accent and the right corner. Below is suspended a brass medallion with 5 cross-like segments surrounding center raised portrait with text "True As Steel/Frank Merriwell." Like the previous 2 items, also made by W&H. The reverse of this reads "Whitehead & Hoag Co./Newark, N.J." The luster on this suspended brass segment is essentially Mint. Rarely found nicer. From the Hake Collection and comes with Hake's COA.