Item number: G26

Year: AD 1924-2024

Material: 14K Gold

Size: 28.2 x 26 x 14.2 mm

Weight: 8.47 g

Provenance:

1. University Archives 2026
2. Brunk Auctions 2026
3. Estate of Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter

This is an American coat of arms tie tack crafted from gold, which was formerly in the possession of the former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter.

The obverse of the object features the coat of arms of the United States, a design derived from the Great Seal of the United States, which was finalised in AD 1885 and remains in use to this day. In the original heraldic achievement, the central escutcheon comprises an azure chief above thirteen vertical pieces paleways, alternating between argent and gules. On this particular gold ornament, the chief portion of the shield is set with three circular diamonds, all finished with a brilliant-cut facet layout. The vertical stripes on the metalwork represent argent through relief engraving and gules through intaglio engraving, though they total only eleven pieces. The escutcheon is borne upon the breast of a bald eagle, which serves as the supporter of the shield. While the original armorial bearings dictate that the left talon clutches thirteen arrows, this gold specimen features only seven arrows, whilst the right talon holds an olive branch; the eagle’s head faces right, symbolising a preference for peace. The beak of the bald eagle clutches a scroll, the remainder of which flutters on either side of its head; although the inscription upon it is illegible, it should theoretically bear the Latin motto E pluribus unum, meaning ‘Out of Many, One’. The eye of the eagle is set with a small, single-cut circular diamond. Above the eagle’s head is a glory encircled by clouds, the centre of which should contain thirteen five-pointed stars representing the original thirteen colonies of North America, though this gold piece features only five stars.

The reverse is flat, save for the perforations that pierce through the metal where the diamonds are set on the obverse. Stamped near the top is the inscription ‘MONDIA’, which potentially denotes the brand name; however, its typography differs slightly from that of the renowned European watch and jewellery brand ‘MONDIA’, leaving its precise provenance subject to further investigation. Beneath ‘MONDIA’ is the underlined number ‘86’, the significance of which remains undetermined. Below this numeral is the tie pin post used for securing the object. At the very bottom, the hallmark ‘14K’ indicates a gold purity of 58.3%.

This accessory differs from a modern ‘tie clip’, as its securing mechanism does not rely on a resilient metal spring to generate friction. Instead, the pin post on the reverse of the decorative obverse piece pierces through the necktie and is received into a circular clutch. This clutch is subsequently connected via a short chain to a T-bar, which is conventionally slipped through a shirt buttonhole to secure the tie in a manner akin to a latch. Due to their tendency to damage the textile surface of neckties, the cumbersomeness of their wear, and the presence of sharp components, such stickpin-style tie tacks are no longer widely utilised in contemporary fashion, though they may still be worn as a vintage sartorial element.

Jimmy Carter was the 39th President of the United States. Born into a farming family in Georgia, he served in his early years as a submarine officer in the United States Navy before returning to his hometown to manage a peanut farm, subsequently serving as the Governor of Georgia and as President of the United States from the 1970s onwards. During his presidential term from AD 1977 to 1981, Carter established the Department of Education and the Department of Energy domestically, whilst internationally executing a staunchly moral foreign policy. He successfully brokered the historic Camp David Accords to achieve peace between Egypt and Israel, and formally established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. Nonetheless, the latter part of his administration was severely undermined by domestic inflation, energy crises, and the Iran hostage crisis, ultimately resulting in his defeat for re-election. Following his departure from office, Carter did not recede from public view; instead, he founded The Carter Center, dedicating over forty years to non-governmental conflict mediation, the monitoring of democratic elections, and the eradication of tropical diseases globally, actions for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in AD 2002. In AD 2024, Carter passed away at his home at the age of one hundred.

物件編號: G26

年代: 公元 1924-2024 年

材質: 14K 金

尺寸: 28.2 x 26 x 14.2 mm

重量: 8.47 g

來源:

1. 大學檔案館拍賣行 2026
2. 布倫克拍賣行 2026
3. 吉米與羅莎琳·卡特珍藏遺產

這是一枚美國國徽領帶夾，為黃金所製，曾為美國前總統吉米·卡特所有。

領帶夾的正面為美國國徽，圖樣來源於公元1885年定案至今的美國國璽。原紋章的中央盾徽為藍色盾首與其下銀紅相間的十三道縱向條紋，該金飾的盾徽盾首部分鑲有三枚圓形鑽石，均經明亮式切割的切工處理。金飾縱紋部分以陽刻指代銀色，以陰刻指代紅色，但僅有共計十一道。盾徽置於白頭海鵰胸前，其為盾徽的扶盾者。其原紋章左爪抓握十三支箭，此金飾僅有七支箭，右爪則抓握一根橄欖樹枝，鷹首朝右，寓意渴望和平。白頭海鵰喙銜飄帶，其餘部分飄揚於鷹首兩側，其上字跡不清，但理論上應書為拉丁文「E pluribus unum」，意為「合眾為一」。鷹眼鑲有一刻圓形小鑽石，為單式切割。鷹首上方為一光冕，邊緣環繞雲朵，中央應有十三顆五角星，代表北美最初的十三殖民地，此金飾僅有五顆星。

背面平夷，唯正面鑲嵌鑽石處有穿孔透過。上方為「MONDIA」，可能為品牌名，但字體與歐洲著名錶飾品牌「MONDIA」稍有差異，出處待考。「MONDIA」下方為加底線的數字「86」，涵義不明。數字下方為固定用的尖釘。最下方「14K」表示其金含量為58.3%。

該領帶夾與現代意義上的「領帶夾」(tie clip)相異，其固定作用並非依靠有彈力的金屬簧片增加摩擦力來完成，而是將正面展示的前片，其背面的尖釘穿刺領帶後納於圓形的底座上。底座再以短鍊與T型桿相連，該T型桿則通常穿過襯衫鈕釦孔，以類似卡榫的方式固定。這種針狀領帶夾因損傷領帶布面、配戴麻煩以及具有銳利部件等原因，已不再於現代被廣泛使用，但仍可能作為復古的元素而配戴。

吉米·卡特(Jimmy Carter)是美國第39任總統。其出生於喬治亞州的農民家庭，早年曾服役於美國海軍擔任潛艇軍官，隨後返回家鄉經營花生農場，並於1970年代起相繼擔任喬治亞州州長與美國總統。在公元1977至1981年的總統任期內，卡特對內設立了教育部與能源部，對外則展現強烈的道德外交方針，成功促成歷史性的《大衛營協議》以實現埃及與以色列的和平，並正式與中華人民共和國建交；然而，其執政後期飽受國內通貨膨脹、能源危機以及伊朗人質危機的打擊，最終連任失敗。卸任後的卡特並未淡出公眾視野，反而創辦了「卡特中心」(The Carter Center)，四十多年來致力於全球非政府性質的調停衝突、監督民主選舉以及消滅熱帶疾病，使其於公元2002年榮獲諾貝爾和平獎。公元2024年，卡特於家中逝世，享年一百歲。