Red Tape Pin
Red Tape Pin
Red Tape Pin

Red Tape Pin

  • National Archives Store Exclusive
  • Handcrafted in the U.S.A.
  • One-of-a-kind sterling silver and polished glass
  • Authentic U.S. government red tape
  • This item contains a portion of a vintage document: items may differ from that photographed
  • This exclusive red tape pin will let everyone know that you like to cut through the red tape and get things done with quality and efficient elegance.

    The red tape used to make this jewelry comes from records held in the National Archives. As the Archives works to protect and preserve our nation's records, improvements to storage methods mean that documents are no longer tri-folded and tied together with red tape. Archivists are "cutting the red tape" and protecting our precious artifacts using the newest approved methods of preservation.

  • By the end of the American Civil War, the practice of binding important documents with red ribbon was common throughout the western world. Civil War veterans' records were bound in red ribbon, and the difficulty in obtaining those records to file pension claims led to the modern American use of the term "red tape."

    Bug Under Glass is a small design studio in Sonoma County, California. Each piece is handcrafted by the artist and combines elements of conservation, natural history and design using only museum-grade materials and Tru-Vue blocking glass.