Illustration of a traditional smiley face design but with a patch over one eye and on a white background

The classic yellow smiley face is comprised of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes, and a black arc ending in serifs for a mouth. It was designed in 1963 by commercial artist, Harvey Ross Ball. Ball was commissioned by The State Mutual Life Insurance Company to create a happy face to raise the morale of their employees. His version was created in 10 minutes. The design was printed onto more than 50 million buttons. Neither Ball nor the company copyrighted this smiley, so it was continually used by other businesses in their promotions.
The design and concept is quite simple and was definitely used before Ball’s 1963 version. However, his has become the most iconic. Variations have been used for advertising campaigns and in popular culture ever since.

A pirate is someone who commits illegal crimes and acts of violence at sea or near the shores of the sea often involving theft. Pirates are often depicted with missing limbs as indicated with a peg leg or a large hook replacing a hand or a missing eye covered with an eye patch to show the violence that ensues upon robbing shores and other ships. The Jolly Roger refers to the design of the flag with skull and crossbones.

Black and white illustration of a sad face with black text around the outer edge of the button on a white background .

The Vietnam war which raged on for almost twenty years between 1955 and 1975 took countless lives on both sides. Apart from the high death count, many soldiers also went missing in action, never to be found. In addition, during the course of the war, prisoners were taken on both sides. These prisoners of war had to endure terrible conditions and often lacked a proper source of food. Many would endure torture for information, and many tragically perished as a result of their conditions.

The war effort increasingly grew unpopular as the toll became greater, especially in the United States. Several protests took place by citizens to show their displeasure and force the United States to cease the war. One of these methods was this button that would help to convey that POWs never had a good day. They would endure horrific conditions, and these buttons helped to remind people of what they were going through. 

Traditional smiley face design on an orange background

The classic yellow smiley face is comprised of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes and a black arc ending in serifs for a mouth. It  was designed in 1963 by by commercial artist, Harvey Ross Ball. Ball was commissioned by The State Mutual Life Insurance Company to create a happy face to raise the morale of their employees. His version was created in 10 minutes. The design was printed onto more than 50 million buttons. Neither Ball nor the company copyrighted this smiley, so it was continually used by other businesses in their promotions.

The design and concept is quite simple and was definitely used before Ball’s 1963 version. However his has become the most iconic. Variations have been used for advertising campaigns and in popular culture ever since.

Illustration of a smiling face with an orange and blue striped hat on top

The Green Duck Company started in 1906 in Chicago, IL.  The Green Duck Co. produced all sorts of advertising items including beer tap knobs, signs, buttons, and pinback style buttons for many years.

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Traditional yellow smiley face design but with a large white open mouth grin

The classic yellow smiley face is comprised of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes and a black arc ending in serifs for a mouth. It  was designed in 1963 by by commercial artist, Harvey Ross Ball. Ball was commissioned by The State Mutual Life Insurance Company to create a happy face to raise the morale of their employees. His version was created in 10 minutes. The design was printed onto more than 50 million buttons. Neither Ball nor the company copyrighted this smiley, so it was continually used by other businesses in their promotions.

The design and concept is quite simple and was definitely used before Ball’s 1963 version. However his has become the most iconic. Variations have been used for advertising campaigns and in popular culture ever since.

This button features and open mouth version of the smiley.

Illustration of a traditional yellow smiley face with black text underneath the face

The is a variation of the classic yellow smiley face which is comprised of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes and a black arc ending in serifs for a mouth. It  was designed in 1963 by by commercial artist, Harvey Ross Ball. Ball was commissioned by The State Mutual Life Insurance Company to create a happy face to raise the morale of their employees. His version was created in 10 minutes. The design was printed onto more than 50 million buttons. Neither Ball nor the company copyrighted this smiley, so it was continually used by other businesses in their promotions. 

The design and concept is quite simple and was definitely used before Ball’s 1963 version. However his has become the most iconic. Variations have been used for advertising campaigns and in popular culture ever since.

White background with red text on the upper left side, red copyright and date on the upper right side. Smiley face near the bottom, blue eyes looking to the left with blue eyebrows and 2 strands of blue hair, along with a small blue nose and a red smile.

NOTA is an acronym for “None of the Above” it is also known as the “scratch” or “against all” vote or “protest vote.” This option is allowed in some jurisdictions to show a voter's disapproval of all candidates on the ballot. This can be for any vote for any organization if given the option. NOTA has been an option for all elections in India since 2009.

The classic yellow smiley face is comprised of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes, and a black arc ending in serifs for a mouth. It was designed in 1963 by commercial artist, Harvey Ross Ball. Ball was commissioned by The State Mutual Life Insurance Company to create a happy face to raise the morale of their employees. His version was created in 10 minutes. The design was printed onto more than 50 million buttons. Neither Ball nor the company copyrighted this smiley, so it was continually used by other businesses in their promotions.
The design and concept is quite simple and was definitely used before Ball’s 1963 version. However, his has become the most iconic. Variations have been used for advertising campaigns and in popular culture ever since.

Illustration of a traditional yellow smiley face design with the "no" or "prohibited" red cross mark over the top on a white background

The classic yellow smiley face is comprised of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes, and a black arc ending in serifs for a mouth. It was designed in 1963 by commercial artist, Harvey Ross Ball. Ball was commissioned by The State Mutual Life Insurance Company to create a happy face to raise the morale of their employees. His version was created in 10 minutes. The design was printed onto more than 50 million buttons. Neither Ball nor the company copyrighted this smiley, so it was continually used by other businesses in their promotions.
The design and concept is quite simple and was definitely used before Ball’s 1963 version. However, his has become the most iconic. Variations have been used for advertising campaigns and in popular culture ever since.

The prohibited sign means “no” and is a red circle with a backslash.

The game MIDI Maze is a first person shooter, which first appeared on Atari in 1987. The game was then made for other gaming consoles until 1993. The game is in first person and features a maze with smiley avatars. Up to 16 computers can be networked together to play in the original game.

Illustration of a blackboard wtih white text and a yellow smiley face on it on a yellow background and with small black text at the bottom

A volunteer is a person who works without pay, often to aid in community and non-profit resources.

The classic yellow smiley face is comprised of a yellow circle, two black dots for eyes and a black arc ending in serifs for a mouth. It  was designed in 1963 by by commercial artist, Harvey Ross Ball. Ball was commissioned by The State Mutual Life Insurance Company to create a happy face to raise the morale of their employees. His version was created in 10 minutes. The design was printed onto more than 50 million buttons. Neither Ball nor the company copyrighted this smiley, so it was continually used by other businesses in their promotions.

Have info on this button? Contact us here.

White background with a yellow sun shape with a smiley face at the center with pink rosy cheek, encircled by a thin black line. Black text curls over the top and bottom.

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