Very Rare Infantry Button and Decorative Tombac!!!

[Lost Signal]

I've been combining posts with mbcuce. Our spot is definitely waning, and there hasn't been enough for one person to make a thread.
This weekend the quantity of finds was still pretty modest, but I did find two very cool buttons.

One button seems to be a rare infantry officer's button from 1810 - 1820. If anyone can add info on it, that would be appreciated. The second button is just a very nicely decorated tombac button.

Also found an interesting pendant that looks like it might have had a stone or cut glass in it, at one time, and a primitive small wing nut.

I was hoping that the half disc was a broken or cut copper, but if so, its completely toasted. Could be something else.

 

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[Trezurehunter]

Congrats on a couple of great old buttons.

 

[gheenoe78]

Looks like there's a number 5 on the shield of that 1812 button? 5th regiment?

 

[mbcuce]

Looks like there's a number 5 on the shield of that 1812 button? 5th regiment?

It does have a 5, I haven’t seen one with the regiment on the shield before. What’s weird too is I found a 3rd regiment artillery and a 2nd reg infantry at the same site all from war 1812 era. We also found earlier military buttons including a British officer’s 1st foot.

 

[digging440yrs]

Nice finds ! It says 5 reg. , Awesome

 

[Lost Signal]

Looks like there's a number 5 on the shield of that 1812 button? 5th regiment?

gheenoe78 - That's right. I read that these buttons were made with blank shields, so that the regiment numbers could be stamped in later. There's a roster of the South Carolina 5th Regiment (Keith's Regiment) from the War of 1812, and I recognized some names from the history of this area.

During that war, there weren't any military engagements here, so as mbcuce said, it is curious that we've found 1812 buttons from 3 different regiments at our site.

I was just excited to finally find something other than an plain flat button, and this one seems to be pretty scarce!

 

[Digger RJ]

Very Nice!!! Congrats!!!

 

[Patriot Relics]

Definitely in that 1808-1812 period, I've seen a few with the marked shields...as others have mentioned, likely added after the fact once assigned to the regiment. Funny to think of how many 1812 era buttons come out of the LC as many strategists thought the British would follow a similar strategy to the revolutionary southern campaign.

 

[xcopperstax]

Great button congrats on such a nice piece of history!

 

[mbcuce]

Definitely in that 1808-1812 period, I've seen a few with the marked shields...as others have mentioned, likely added after the fact once assigned to the regiment. Funny to think of how many 1812 era buttons come out of the LC as many strategists thought the British would follow a similar strategy to the revolutionary southern campaign.

That's true VMI. We've found 1812 buttons at other Low Country sites but as far as I know there wasn't any action anywhere around us. I guess they were gonna be ready.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Awesome button find!

 

[Whyme]

Very cool buttons! Congrats!

 

[gheenoe78]

After the fall of Charleston in 1780 to the British, they wanted to avoid a similar outcome during the war of 1812. There were actually quite a few military outposts and stations in the area during that time preparing for an attack that never came. I've found quitea few 1812 era military pewters. They're usually just the plain "I" infantry variety though.

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

I love the "BESTT QUALITY" Armitage backmark. I have a Navy button with the same mark!

 

[Steve in PA]

Nice 5th regiment button and the decorative tombac is a real looker.