This badge was likely used for the 1908 New York State Republican convention by the delegation from Utica who supported Taft or possibly the national convention held in Chicago that June. The badge is 7” tall of heavy solid brass, the top segment with reverse pin is engraved with the name “A.F. Kielbach.” The 1.5” medallion at the bottom pictures Roscoe Conkling and reads “Conkling Unconditionals/Utica, N.Y.” Conkling lead the “Stalwart” faction of the Republican party. They favored a third term for Grant (see item #237) and opposed civil service reform preferring the methods of “machine” politics. The “Conkling Unconditionals” group name originated in 1880 by his supporters and was apparently inspired by the grant nickname “Unconditional Surrender Grant.” The seven brass bars list the last names of the Republican Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees from 1880 through 1904. Bottom to top they read “Garfield & Arthur 1880/Blaine & Logan 1884/Harrison & Morton 1888/Harrison & Reid 1892/McKinley & Hobart 1896/McKinley & Roosevelt 1900/Roosevelt & Fairbanks 1904.” The group survived Conkling’s death and was very active in the Utica area. There is a Taft/Sherman/Conkling trigate from 1908. Badge has very trivial luster loss. Only example we know of. Rare and Exc.