Exceptional gold plated (wash) Native Sons of the Golden West breast badge with red and blue enamel, as a banner hanging from a pick and shovel cross bar. California golden bear on shovel blade and in banner. No engraving on reverse. "California Parlor No. 1" at top, "N.S./G.W." at bottom. These badges are from the first and founding parlor, San Francisco, Parlor #1, and as such were usually owned be the "who's who" of California pioneers, though these men all came to California after (and because of) the 1848 Gold Rush, as opposed to the California Pioneers, who were all in California prior to the Gold Rush.These badges are extremely rare, and come in two forms (unknown to me until now-fh): red banner top with blue background for the California bear, and the opposite, a blue banner top with red background for the California bear. This piece is the red banner-top enamel background. This specimen shows wear on the prominent parts, with some gold wash worn off, probably not noticeable to most folks. As such, we wish the owner would have engraved his name on the reverse, as it obviously belonged to someone who wore it proudly and often. Overall size, 5.5" long, 2.5" wide. Comes with original envelope. San Francisco California