Button from France - WWII - or?

[Marc]

A friend recently found this in France..

I scanned it - and am showing it right side up / upside down (because we don't know which way is up!)

The back side even has some thread still in it.

It appears to be copper, and has some weight to it.

Any ideas? It looks older than WWII to me. I haven't a clue what the graphic is (possibly a crown and RC?) or the age.

[jeff of pa]

I's say Second one is Correct

Looks like RC or CR at the Bottom

Other then That,
I'll leave it to a Button Expert

[DigginThePast]

Yeah, I see a RC or CR with a crown above it and what looks like maybe a lion above that. But I couldn't match it it up.

I'd hit them up over at What Is It.

[Marc]

Ah yes! I think I see a lion on top of a crown now too - the lyon facing left.... cool, that should make it a little easier.

It was found at the base of a hill, next to what appears to be a WWII bunker, but the hill also has a Church from the 1200's on it, and who knows what else. It's a promontory on the Med, so any era is possible.

My gut tells me 1700's but really, that's just a wild guess. I would say it was cast for sure.

I will copy this post over to the What Is It forum.

Thanks!

[Iron Patch]

I'd say British and WW era is correct judging by the 20th century crown design. Interesting construction though.

[Iron Patch]

Just a guess...

CRE Corps of Royal Engineers

[Marc]

Thanks Iron Patch - do you think WW 1 or 2? Maybe that bunker thing could be WW1 - hmmmmm....

As always, I would love to know the story behind the button being lost! Isn't history (and this hobby) great?

[Iron Patch]

Thanks Iron Patch - do you think WW 1 or 2? Maybe that bunker thing could be WW1 - hmmmmm....

As always, I would love to know the story behind the button being lost! Isn't history (and this hobby) great?

That I can not say, but to me the crown clearly looks like it's either King Edward or King George. I'm sure someone will nail down an ID for you.

What you say is exactly right and I think sometimes we (especially me) get too caught up in rare CW or Rev War buttons and forget how every damn last one of these count.

[Iron Patch]

oh yeah... looks to be a 2 piece - cast pewter with iron back. The great condition is also evidence it's from a more modern era.

[Marc]

I'd be real surprised if it were two pieces - it feels like one, I see no seams, is heavy for it's size, and does not stick to a magnet at all.

Here's a more oblique closeup shot of the back side...

also, on the underside is what appears to be a casting sprue...

[Iron Patch]

I'd be real surprised if it were two pieces - it feels like one, I see no seams, is heavy for it's size, and does not stick to a magnet at all.

Here's a more oblique closeup shot of the back side...

wow that looks much different. It was just the shadow making it darker and looking like a 2 piece. It makes a little more sense now because I had never seen anything like what it appeared to be to me in the above pics. Even being one piece I still think it's WW era. That type of shank is on two types of buttons, very early, like 1500s/1600s, and fairly modern, and we know this one is not from the early period.

[Marc]

we know this one is not from the early period.

Ok! Thanks!

[Marc]

It does - at certain angles - seem like it has a seam, but at other angles I see no seam... so I would still bet - especially with the sprue - that it's one piece.

[Iron Patch]

It does - at certain angles - seem like it has a seam, but at other angles I see no seam... so I would still bet - especially with the sprue - that it's one piece.

On the pics above I thought the back was level with the rim, that's why I thought two piece. It's not at all how I thought it was now seeing the different angle. I have seen somewhat similar ww made buttons but they are more junky white metal and very light. I really know very little about this period, I'm always swinging over older sites.