From Gary Patterson ... W&H expert
Archie, I sent a respond but I don't think it went thru. - so I send it to his email address & again it didn't go - an error showed up. Anyway - here is what I send. These Buttons (Flags, Ships, Peoples, etc.) were sold in sets to collectors & sold over a million a day to the Cigarettes Companys (one in ea. pack). What is interesting is back then they didn't have any machines to put the paper in the back - so - Whitehead & Hoag would give a box of buttons & paper to the local kids who lived around the factory in Newark to do it - However, before they would get them the kids had to show that they had all their school homework done. gary