Vintage 1980's Ballou Reg'd Gold Plated NASA Space Shuttle Orbiter Lapel Tie Pin

Vintage 1980's Ballou Reg'd Gold Plated NASA Space Shuttle Orbiter Lapel Tie Pin Small 3D shiny gold finish space shuttle orbiter pin. Pinback signed "Ballou Reg'd" Excellent vintage condition. Pin measures about 3/4" long x 7/16" wide. ** The history of the Ballou Reg’d jewelry brand is closely connected with one of the oldest American jewelry companies BA Ballou & Co., founded in 1876. Located in the jewelry capital of the United States, East Providence, Rhode Island it was the family-owned company. Run by six generations of designers, it started with its founder Barton Allan Ballou (1835-1922). However, the company became famous not for costume jewelry, but for the release of army badges, clutches, and lapel pins for politicians and US patriots. Thus, during the Second World War, they produced 300 million badges for the U.S. Armed Forces, for which they received the “Army-Navy Efficiency Award”. During his lifetime, in 1910, Barton made his son Frederick Allen Ballou (1869-1947) president of the company. Then, after the death of Frederick, his son Frederick Allen Ballou, Jr. headed the company. After the end of the war, when the demand for militaristic symbols fell, the company began to produce costume jewelry, creating “Ballou Reg’d” brand. Jewelry with this label was produced until 2000. Noteworthy, the famous family brand ceased to exist in the early 2000s, becoming the property of another company, The W.R. Cobb Company in 2009.