Even as first turnstiles began revolving, sweeping an awed public into the exposition, captains of business and industry began tripping over each other to attach their names to the biggest show on Earth. Thimbles, salt-and-pepper shakers, pots and pans, candy, and ice cream, shot glasses, spoons, clocks, socks, and pork hocks: all wanted to be linked to Chicago's global gala.

Too, literally thousands of different "types" of medals and medallions were minted by companies and the government. Over 23,000 medals were handed out as awards to exhibitors alone, and close to 2.5 million dollars was realized from sales of souvenir medals and tokens at the fair itself. By an act of congress, several million advertising tokens were strewn across the country to entice the populace to make the trip to Chicago.

So . . . we'll put a few of the most popular medals, or the most different, in this area for sale. And we'll search the sea of Columbiana for things rare or totally useful to collectors to include here also. We make no claim to carry a representative swath of what is still available from the fair, as the number and variety of available items is still stupifying; but, you will find examples of what we deem to exemplify both the inventiveness and blatent opportunism of businesses and industry not only in Chicago, but across the country..

EXTREMELY RARE 1893 COLUMBIAN WORLD'S FAIR PIN OF SANTA MARIA AND ANCHOR! BOAT IS 1-1/8" WIDE X 1" HIGH, CHAIN WITH ANCHOR ATTACHED!(Shown larger than actual size) BOTH PIECES ARE IN BRAND NEWCONDITION with both pinbacks working.!

THE SANTA MARIA WAS THE LARGEST OF COLUM BUS' THREE SHIPS, SIGNIFICANTLY WIDER AND LESS AGILE THAN THE NINA OR PINTA.

$59.00, plus $4 S/H.