1896-1905 National Cycle Mfg. Co. Vintage Pinback Button 1.5\", Fantastic, HOAG For Sale

Glossy front & smooth back with original manufacturer pin paper insertThe Whitehead & Hoag Co., Newark, N.J., U.S.AExtremely nice survivor especially in this remarkable condition
Further Info:
Celluloid advertising pinback button for the National Cycle Mfg. Co. of Bay City, Michigan, featuring an eagle perched on an American shield with \"NATIONAL\" across it, radiating bicycle-wheel spokes in the background, and gold rim text reading \"NATIONAL CYCLE MFG. CO.\" / \"BAY CITY, MICH.\"
The back is stamped \"Buttons made by The Whitehead & Hoag Co., Newark, N.J., U.S.A., Pat. April 14, 1896 / July 21, 1896,\" plus a local Allied Printing Trades Union Label / Union Label Council, Newark stamp. Whitehead & Hoag was theoriginal patent-holder and dominant manufacturer of celluloid pinback buttons starting in 1896 making this stamp effectively the industry\'s founding trademark.
Historical context:When the wheel craze swept over the country, several years ago, Bay City was affected. Realizing that the wheel had come to stay, Henry B. Smith, of the Michigan Pipe Co, consulted with several other gentlemen about the matter, and they reached the conclusion that a bicycle factory would be a good source of revenue. The National Cycle Mfg. Co. became a point of local pride — there was no institution in Bay City\'s corporate limits of which locals were prouder than the National Cycle factory, and few cities\' cycle factories equaled its quality of work.
Notably, when Colonel Pope formed the American Bicycle Company trust in 1899, National Cycle Mfg Co was one of the few companies that refused to join, proudly advertising \"Not in a Trust.\" The company weathered the shift to motorcycles/automobiles for a while, but eventually sold its factory to Chevrolet in 1916 — William Durant and Louis Chevrolet bought the plant in 1916, and it was added to the General Motors portfolio in 1918. That factory site is still a GM powertrain plant today.
Please see all photos for condition details — feel free to ask any questions before offerding/buying.
This is just the start of Vintage Pinback Button sales that I will be starting. All the buttons I will be listing are from my grandfathers lifelong collection dating from 1890-1960 or so.
Keep checking back for more.