Don in SJ
Silver Member
- May 20, 2005
- 4,931
- 832
- Detector(s) used
- MINELAB SE Pro
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
This button has to be my rarest of my rare finds, considering to this day, 12 years later no others have been reported as being found anywhere, whether in cigar box or by a metal detectorist.
The rarity of this one is UNIQUE, only known specimen, in Albert's button book, which was last published in 1976, said none have been reported, but there is an Congressional Act authorizing the production of such buttons and the button I found matched the description as described.
I found the button long before I was active on the internet (1994) and in 1995 I had a rather severe house fire and it was during the rebuild of the house that I was going through my old finds and took this button to our metal detecting meeting and one of the old timers there recommended I buy Albert's book, that it would be worth my while to do so.
I purchased the book and to my great delight I saw my button being described in his book as a TE-1. When I read that none have been reported to be found, I knew mine was of some value.
Since I was down a bit in cash at the time, I sure wanted a new road carbon fiber road bicycle for my other hobby, I decided to not hold on to the button and try and find a buyer.
After contacting the National Button Society, I was given the name of Mr W_____ T___, who at the time was known as perhaps the most knowledgeable military button collector in the country.
I called Mr T___ and told him what I found with my detector and he kept asking me again and again, "are you sure it is a button" I said "no doubt, intact shank and all" After a few minutes he made me a four figure offer for the button which I immediately accepted.
Conditions of sale were to send him photos of the button, and after he verified it was in fact the super rare button he would call me and the sale would go through.
The sale was finalized that year and it allowed me to purchase a brand new carbon fiber Trek road bicycle, which at the bike store I bought it at, became known as "The Button Bike", since the owner loves to tell the story of the button find, which allowed me to purchase the bike.
I understand in recent years Mr T, had sold off part or all of his collection and that my USTE button has since been resold for as much as 4 times as what I was paid for it back in the mid 90's.
Now, I did find the button in a trashy part, behind where a mid 1800's house sat, I remember the day well, since I find very few Military buttons and this one had a beautiful Eagle on it and lots of gilt.
Did I go back and try to find one of its mates, you bet, however, the homestead is no longer.
At the time I found it the area was being prepped for a golf course, and sure enough within a year of finding it the site became off limits as a golf course in fact did go in at that area, wiping out about 4 homesteads that I never really got to pound much at all.
I am sure, somewhere that area, might be the rest of the buttons from where mine came from, but they might be buried for eternity, or maybe someday somebody else will find one. Since none were never reported the experts were never sure any were made, since they were authorized but no records of being made or any in existence. Now they know they were made..
If I do not find another one, I do hope someday somebody else does, if you do, it is worth more than most GW buttons are today.......
HH
Don in South Jersey
The rarity of this one is UNIQUE, only known specimen, in Albert's button book, which was last published in 1976, said none have been reported, but there is an Congressional Act authorizing the production of such buttons and the button I found matched the description as described.
I found the button long before I was active on the internet (1994) and in 1995 I had a rather severe house fire and it was during the rebuild of the house that I was going through my old finds and took this button to our metal detecting meeting and one of the old timers there recommended I buy Albert's book, that it would be worth my while to do so.
I purchased the book and to my great delight I saw my button being described in his book as a TE-1. When I read that none have been reported to be found, I knew mine was of some value.
Since I was down a bit in cash at the time, I sure wanted a new road carbon fiber road bicycle for my other hobby, I decided to not hold on to the button and try and find a buyer.
After contacting the National Button Society, I was given the name of Mr W_____ T___, who at the time was known as perhaps the most knowledgeable military button collector in the country.
I called Mr T___ and told him what I found with my detector and he kept asking me again and again, "are you sure it is a button" I said "no doubt, intact shank and all" After a few minutes he made me a four figure offer for the button which I immediately accepted.
Conditions of sale were to send him photos of the button, and after he verified it was in fact the super rare button he would call me and the sale would go through.
The sale was finalized that year and it allowed me to purchase a brand new carbon fiber Trek road bicycle, which at the bike store I bought it at, became known as "The Button Bike", since the owner loves to tell the story of the button find, which allowed me to purchase the bike.
I understand in recent years Mr T, had sold off part or all of his collection and that my USTE button has since been resold for as much as 4 times as what I was paid for it back in the mid 90's.
Now, I did find the button in a trashy part, behind where a mid 1800's house sat, I remember the day well, since I find very few Military buttons and this one had a beautiful Eagle on it and lots of gilt.
Did I go back and try to find one of its mates, you bet, however, the homestead is no longer.
At the time I found it the area was being prepped for a golf course, and sure enough within a year of finding it the site became off limits as a golf course in fact did go in at that area, wiping out about 4 homesteads that I never really got to pound much at all.I am sure, somewhere that area, might be the rest of the buttons from where mine came from, but they might be buried for eternity, or maybe someday somebody else will find one. Since none were never reported the experts were never sure any were made, since they were authorized but no records of being made or any in existence. Now they know they were made..
If I do not find another one, I do hope someday somebody else does, if you do, it is worth more than most GW buttons are today.......
HH
Don in South Jersey
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