Button help please

[montanagold]

My buddy found 15 of these the other day, and only found one reference on eBay pictures shown. We are not sure of the age since the site we have dug these at has shown a broad range of time period. anyone know what these are and what the P.S.R stands for. Thanks

 

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[timekiller]

Looks like lapel pins.
Take Care,
Pete,

 

[timekiller]

An excellent condition U.S. P.S.R. Lapel Pin. Circa World War II or so. I've searched and found either Prior Service Recruiting or Physicians for Social Responsibility. Excellent Condition per the photos. It's 3/4 inches wide.

 

[Kenosha Kid]

OK ~ first off, I agree with Time killer that they are lapel pins.

Regarding the maker ~ I've found two references about this pin.

The first was from the 'Washington State Historical Society' that listed this as a "lapel/service pin" or a "single cuff link (?)", made by "Mayer Bros.; Seattle, WA, 1900-1940"; however, they have no image whatsoever and their info is vague (for being a historical society), so I've discounted this as fact and called it as unknown to them.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...u.s.p.s.r.+cufflink?&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

The second is the ebay pictures you posted. I've found that the backmark is from the Bastian Co., incorporated in 1895 as the Bastian Brothers Company, Rochester, NY and one of the first firms to become unionized in that area. They are still in business today.

http://www.bastiancompany.com/about.shtml

In checking out some of their early work, they used the shield with 'MPB PIU' inside the shield. The third letter was different on a lot of medals, pins, etc.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Army-Navy-Medal...age_Fine_Jewelry&hash=item2c59c13057&x=54&y=9

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Bastian..._DefaultDomain_0&hash=item255fe963e3&x=24&y=6

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-WWII-US...521?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51973ca329

Since the ebay pin is listed on every ebay site (US, HK, UK, etc.) by the same seller, I can't be 100% positive that this was made by Bastian Bros (unless yours have the same backs). The pin back could be from another pin and just matched with the USPSR pin. I can be certain the pin back was made by Bastian.

On to the USPSR meaning. One link, http://www.google.com/search?q=u.s....mayer+bros&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=7b989c6c17f79c85 "U.S.P.S.R. -- Letters: Feb-Oct, 1919" led me to what it stands for.

http://www.library.gsu.edu/dlib/iam/getBrandedPDF.asp?issue_id=317 (page 4, bottom left side)

http://www.archive.org/stream/organizedlaborun00unit#page/n1/mode/2up

http://books.google.com/books?id=_H...united states public service reserve?&f=false (page 514)

http://books.google.com/books?id=6U...united states public service reserve?&f=false (page 3)

The United States Public Service Reserve, created by the Dept. of Labor in 1917 "for mobilizing adult male volunteers for service in employments of every kind, public and private, which are necessary to the effective conduct of the war." "Men of draft age who are likely to be called soon are not wanted in the Public Service Reserve. It is intended mainly for the men who do not expect to do military service. Enrollment in the Reserve is no ground for exemption from military duties."

The last link states, "Badge for Each Member. A certificate of enrollment and an appropriate badge or button will be given each member." This is the only mention of a USPSR badge I've located. I've not found what that badge looked like nor what company was asked to make it.

Last (and somewhat related), I did come across a link for "The United States Boys' Working Reserve", created during the same time. It was "an enrolled army of patriotic volunteer youths between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one years, organized under the United States Department of Labor", complete with badges (yep, made by Bastian) and uniforms.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...abor+department+pin?&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

http://www.sos.state.or.us/archives/exhibits/war/pdf/boys1.pdf

I apologize if this is an information overload for you. With too much snow and the cold temps outside, I've nothing but time for research.