Vintage 1960s Collectible Tolkien/Lord Of The Rings lapel badge

  

Vintage 1960s Lord Of The Rings lapel badge. This an extremely rare lapel badge designed by John Closson, a calligrapher and member of the Tolkien Society of America. Lapel badges (known as'pinback buttons' in the US) were extremely popular with the counterculture of the 1960s and after an explosion of interest in Tolkien during that decade, various Tolkien related collectible badges began to be produced. Several different designs were made and this appears to be one of the earliest. This badge measures approximately 25mm across and is turquoise/blue with black lettering.

It is in generally good condition, with a little discolouring and some corrosion on the back, which is to be expected given it is nearly 60 years old. It comes with a cloth bag and a jewellery box for protection The runes in the centre read "Go Go Gandalf". The text around the edge is written in Tengwar and reads "Naur an edraith ammen, Naur dan i ngaurhoth" which is taken from Gandalf's Gandalf's firelighting spell in Sindarin: "Fire for saving us, Fire against the wolf-horde". This is a genuine and very sought-after item, with only one owner since 1965 and a fantastic opportunity for any serious Tolkien/Lord Of The Rings fan to own a piece of LOTR history. If you have any questions, please get in touch.