My Favorite Campaign Badge

My collection of campaign items numbers around 1,700. Of those, nearly 200 relate to my favorite presidential candidate, Theodore Roosevelt.

I never thought about what may be my favorite badge, but beyond a doubt this 1 1/4 inch Theodore Roosevelt badge is the one:

It is neither the rarest nor the most expensive of Theodore Roosevelt buttons but I have sought it for years. My good friend, Neal, recently decided to sell a good portion of his TR collection. He gave me first choice as well as a bargain price for this one. The badge is not actually in my collection yet--Bonnie bought it to be my Christmas present this year.

I posted a picture of my second favorite, a 7/8-inch button, a while back.

This one is much rarer than the first; I have only seen 3 others like it in my approximately 57 years of collecting. It was a gift from my father.