Early Eagle Button, Pewter Spoon, Knee Buckle and much more...

[OutdoorAdv]

After some more research, I decided to spend the weekend hitting some hard hit sites. There were no obvious signals left, so I resorted to working the iron and trying to swing where I typically wouldn't... with the hopes that a coil might have not passed over that soil before. Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, my GPS had me hiking 12 miles which doesn't include the miles I walked while detecting! On Saturday I hiked out with about 40lbs of iron in my pack and on Sunday, about 10lbs. It's hard work, but I was rewarded with a few really nice keepers. Most importantly, I got to spend the weekend outdoors and enjoy some cooler weather.

The group shot! Some of my favorites are the early one piece eagle button, the pewter spoon, knee (hat?) buckle frame, crotal bell, brass wedding ring and early suspender buckles. Whats not pictured is most of the iron keepers that I will work through electrolysis. Somehow a couple rose heads made it into my keeper pouch, but I have a whole mess more that I will tumble.



This is perhaps my favorite button yet and I still have no clue what it is! Its a flat, one piece brass cuff button, cast with an applied shank. I currently have a post open in the "what is it" forum (http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/515931-button-experts-early-military-1-piece-brass-cuff.html) so if I get a proper ID on it, I will update this thread. I believe it might be a very early "US Officials Diplomatic Service Button" or something similar.



The backmark is a circle of stars much like the front. You can clearly see the mold seam across the middle



I dig a lot of pewter spoon parts. Bowls, handles, bowls with partial handles... but this is my first complete early pewter spoon from end to end. Still on the lookout for a rattail spoon, but I'm getting closer.



I was very happy with this knee buckle frame. Pins are lengthwise with a nice floral pattern.



This is only my second crotal bell and its huge! Unfortunately its cracked and missing the ball, so there is no ring left in it. When I dug my first one the property owners liked it so much I gave it to them.



A very toasty 1804 DBLC turned up and a beat up CW era coat sized 2 piece General Service button. To the right is a very early brass (wedding) band. It has a solder seam where it was connected together. I've dug 3 or 4 of these brass ones at early sites in the past.







Thanks for looking and happy hunting everyone!

 

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[OutdoorAdv]

Damn that is a sexy button! That deserves a place up top, so I am voting banner.

Over the years my appreciation for buttons has grown, and a button like that really gets the juices flowing.

Great job recovering all those finds!

Thanks a ton Mike! When I first started this hobby many years ago, my interests were drastically different. I liked coins the most and the relics were a let down when one turned up. I remember being disappointed when a saw a round disk and it turned out to be a flat button and not a IHP. Since then my interests have evolved to be the exact opposite. I love the relics and specifically the buttons. So many times I have wiped the front of a freshly dug flat button just hoping there would be something on it. There is so much diversity that its always exciting.

I truly appreciate the vote man.

*Like many of us, I have had mixed feelings about the banner process and a while ago I decided I no longer wanted to participate. tnet is more enjoyable for me when I don't wonder why certain things go up and others don't. However, after reading some of the replies on this thread, I realize I was wrong and by taking the stance that I did, I am actually participating in part of the reason I dislike the process. I post my stuff on here because I love history and enjoy sharing and learning with all of the like-minded people on tnet. To that end, I realize there is good that comes from banners because people can see something and learn something that they might have otherwise not clicked on. The sharing and learning aspect is a huge reason I spend time on this forum. So if this button gets the votes and people want to see it up there, then I truly appreciate it and perhaps we can all learn more about this button... that is if I can get an ID on it!*

 

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[OutdoorAdv]

Man it sounds like you worked your a** off Brad, but you really found some good stuff in a "hunted out" area. Of course that button is king but some of the other buttons aren't half bad. I really like the knee buckle and the complete pewter spoon. Great job!

Thanks a ton Glenn! I found one small 5 foot area in the whole weekend that had never seen a coil... those were the only easy targets and it all happened in about 5 minutes... killer signal, suspender buckle, stand up and a foot away, killer signal DBLC, stand up and another foot over, knee buckle frame. Then it got quiet and went right back to the usual iron. Sure makes you wonder what sort of things the first people that swung a coil there pulled out.

I see you finally got the guts to clean the dirt off it. Good choice.

Believe it or not... I just took better pictures with proper lighting! I rushed those pictures in the what-is-it to try and get a fast ID on it and the button looked much worse than when I took my time. I wanted to thank you for taking the time to try and ID this for me man. Its very appreciated. Hopefully I can get an ID on it soon.

wow nice haul

Thank you Gaspipe!

View attachment 1361492

Lets be honest... Pit digging is a virus, it'll always be with him

 

[Pacivilwarluke]

I don't mean to sound like a broken record here since I'm not sure that I am contributing much more to the conversation here, but I figure I'll show ya what I saw. These two are of similar style but not cast brass, but I would honestly say that it is a diplomatic button

The number of stars is odd but perhaps it is just because of the timeline of states being admitted into the union, or it could be a stylistic preference. Maybe someone has a button book that lists it or perhaps it is unlisted but either way this is an amazing find!

 

[OutdoorAdv]

I'm green with Envy I love you setup! Think I'm going to pull the trigger on a Deus! Super finds!

Thank you Randyg12! As with any machine, the Deus took some time to get used to, but I have really developed an ear to what its telling me. Its picked out lots of stuff from the iron with lots of patience and digging!

Hi OA; Given the fact that non one can ID the button I believe that that makes the button Ultra Rare. It is by far one of the Sweetest buttons I have seen to date. I spent 4 solid hours trying to find it with no luck YET.!!! Thus I hereby Vote for BANNER for it as an 1791 Vermont 14 Star Pewter Eagle Button. I believe a find of this caliber deserves such a Vote. My Vote is in NOW. CONGRATS.!!! PEACE:RONB

Thank you Barker! I just sent an email to someone to try and get an ID, so I am hopeful that we can get a definitive answer on that. Once again, I really appreciate you and everyone else taking the time to try and find this button.

I totally agree with J Cache. Awesome find. Vote in.

Thanks a ton Allen! I really appreciate it.

Love these finds! I also see something in the bottom right that reminds me of a tintype photograph, with the clipped corners. I dug an 1/8th plate one from a civil war site, perhaps if you measure it you would get dimensions that would match the set plate sizes of the period! I will try to get nack to you on that button, but that looks really good to me! I'm thinking diplomatic also, though I suppose it could be militia. Killer finds!

Thanks a ton Luke! I got excited for a split second on that plug thinking it might be a plate! ha Its actually a sheet of lead with small nail holes around the whole perimeter. I believe it was used as a patch for something. Perhaps something sprung a leak or a they tried to plug a hole in a bucket. I thought it was a pretty cool piece of metal. It sure would be awesome to find a a tintype or ambrotype or daguerreotype. I remember reading a post on here years ago where a guy found an ambrotype and was able to actually preserve it and see the original image in it. It was a fascinating post.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

I don't mean to sound like a broken record here since I'm not sure that I am contributing much more to the conversation here, but I figure I'll show ya what I saw. These two are of similar style but not cast brass, but I would honestly say that it is a diplomatic button View attachment 1361538 View attachment 1361539

The number of stars is odd but perhaps it is just because of the timeline of states being admitted into the union, or it could be a stylistic preference. Maybe someone has a button book that lists it or perhaps it is unlisted but either way this is an amazing find!

Thanks a ton man! That's actually the Alberts OD7 button that mine most closely resembles. I have a picture of the Alberts book page in my what-is-it post http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/515931-button-experts-early-military-1-piece-brass-cuff.html from yesterday. The eagles are nearly the same and the backmark on OD7 has stars too, however it has many more stars. My theory is that this cuff button might be an earlier style from between 1791 or 1792.

Here is the page from the Alberts book.

 

[Gridwalker306]

Thanks a ton Mike! When I first started this hobby many years ago, my interests were drastically different. I liked coins the most and the relics were a let down when one turned up. I remember being disappointed when a saw a round disk and it turned out to be a flat button and not a IHP. Since then my interests have evolved to be the exact opposite. I love the relics and specifically the buttons. So many times I have wiped the front of a freshly dug flat button just hoping there would be something on it. There is so much diversity that its always exciting.

I truly appreciate the vote man.

*Like many of us, I have had mixed feelings about the banner process and a while ago I decided I no longer wanted to participate. tnet is more enjoyable for me when I don't wonder why certain things go up and others don't. However, after reading some of the replies on this thread, I realize I was wrong and by taking the stance that I did, I am actually participating in part of the reason I dislike the process. I post my stuff on here because I love history and enjoy sharing and learning with all of the like-minded people on tnet. To that end, I realize there is good that comes from banners because people can see something and learn something that they might have otherwise not clicked on. The sharing and learning aspect is a huge reason I spend time on this forum. So if this button gets the votes and people want to see it up there, then I truly appreciate it and perhaps we can all learn more about this button... that is if I can get an ID on it!*

Man I was the same way! The other day I came across an old find (2010, my first year) in my collection of digs. It was a WWI Canadian medical corps hat badge, and I clearly remember being bummed that it wasn't an old coin. Seriously?!

As far as the banner goes, I try not to get involved with the politics of it. When I first came to Tnet I remember going through all the banner finds, and it inspired me to stick with detecting even when I was being a frustrated newbie. For that reason I simply think that great finds should be featured up there to inspire people. And what the hell, it feels good to get a nod of approval from fellow diggers.

 

[Scrappy]

I think it's important this button ID is figured out. Bump

 

[OutdoorAdv]

I think it's important this button ID is figured out. Bump

Thanks man. I've been working on it, but so far no one I've contacted can give me any information about it. Hopefully I'll figure it out in the next few days. If anyone knows of an expert on these early buttons definitely let me know and I'll reach out to them.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

I wanted to update this post with what I am going to settle on as an ID unless I can find this button in some other resource. I emailed a few people and I didn't get back any definitive ID or even an alternate ID that was closer to this button.

So, as we original suspected, I believe this is a variant of the US Diplomatic Service Button OD7 that is not listed in any book. The only button in the Alberts book with an eagle style similar to mine is the OD7. In addition, they both have stars for their backmark. OD7 is a 23mm Coat button with 16 stars and mine is a 15mm cuff size button with 14 stars.



If anyone has a good resource (book or person) on buttons that fall somewhere between the Rev War and War of 1812 please let me know. I will settle on "OD7 varient" for now, but it will always be great to get an absolute answer.