Flower power pin styles blossom in anonymous abundance just as wildflowers bloom in nature in all their colorful splendor.
Neither identification nor documentation exist for flower power pin styles in all their varieties before their huge popularity, during their craze in the 1960s and 70s, or even today as collectibles.
Therefore the opportunity continues to exist for a collector like myself to attempt to identify and provide a clear definition of them now in 2024. Let’s start with the components that qualify a 1960s-1970s brooch for flower power pin recognition.
CLASSIC FLOWER POWER PIN COMPONENTS
Here are the basic flower power pin components:
a. each component is molded steel
b. each component color(s) is enamel paint
c. there are usually one or two layers of petals (sometimes three even four) that are symmetrical on each layer
d. the front of the pin looks like a daisy
e. the center is also molded steel with a color of enamel paint
f. stems are also steel with enamel paint
g. the back of the pin component that holds it all together is a continuous screw in mechanism also made of metal
h. a center ‘button’ made of the same material but not necessarily the same color
CLASSIC FLOWER POWER PIN STYLES
The following are all symmetrical daisy petal pins. Small pins have one layer of petals. Next, medium pins can have two layers of petal. Last, large pins can have three and even four layers of petals:
a. small (@1 1/2″ diameter)
b. small with stem (@ 3″ long)
c. medium (@2 1/2″ diameter)
d. medium with stem (@ 3 3/4″ long)
e. large (3″ diameter)
f. large with stem (unknown)
MY CONCLUSION
The FPP that I have described and illustrated here are what I consider to be the original classic FPP templates and designs. There are many other styles in addition that are shown below. I suspect they are from other companies. Since I know of no contrary documentation, I conclude my study as such.
DERIVATIVE COMPONENTS AND STYLES OF FLOWER PINS
The following are what I call derivative flower pins. They do not fit the parameter of either of the first two sets of illustrations. But they loosely fit the idea but not the classic definition of a flower power pin style.
MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT FLOWER POWER/FLOWER POWER PINS
A substantial amount of discussion does exist about flower power pins. But their existence is anecdotal rather than identification or description. Although it is entertaining to read them, they do not assist at all for identification. Some of these articles include:
The History of Flower Power
Flower Power from Wikipedia
The Art of Flower Power
The Flower Power Project On Actipedia