The owner, who was a good business man, began to realize that Bill Jones was a lucky tillicum to have around the place.

The word is from the Indian, signifying good luck, and the slogan, it was said, was fashioned by Colonel Edward M. House. (Colonel House was President Woodrow Wilson's number one assistant)

The Patriotic Products Association (PPA) of Philadelphia sells Roosevelt lucky pieces called lucky Tillicums. One kind resembles gold, but is bronze, other resembles silver, but is nickel. Both are inscribed "Rebuild with Roosevelt." Colonel House suggested the Roosevelt coin. PPA had previously tried to strike up deal with the Democratic Committee, but they were chuckling over the old Republican Lucky Piece. PPA believes that this tillicum charm saved Roosevelt from the Zangara bullet in Miami but they haven't dared ask him if he was carrying it.

They were reportedly issued in two versions, bronze and nickel by the Patriotic Products Association. Colonel House suggested the project, and Governor Roosevelt sat for the the artist responsible for the portrait. The first example struck was in gold and presented to Roosevelt. A total of 25,000 Lucky Tillicum pieces were distributed to novelty stores prior to the inauguration. President Roosevelt's daughter Anna (Mrs. Curtis Dell) stated: After about six people had asked me what "Lucky Tillicum" means, I started to try to find out for myself. You know, they're those little metal disks with my father's likeness stamped on them. I asked at several stores that sell them, but couldn't learn anything. Finally, a newspaper man told me that "Tillicum" is an Indian word meaning "lucky piece."