Need help identifying this, please!

[Mach1Pilot]

Hello All,

First time posting here for a newbie... Been watching this site for a while and thought maybe someone could help me ID something I found the other day.

It appears to be some sort of button- copper covered on the front and an unknown white material on the back. It was found between an old mid-1800s home and barn.

I've resisted the urge to do any cleaning other than with water and a light hit with a toothbrush. When it first came out of the ground it had a few copper colored areas, although now they have oxidized a bit over the last week. At first, Ithought there was a letter stamped into it but now I can't make anything out. Most likely its smooth, but perhaps there is something under the crud ?

If you have any idea as to what it might be or a guess as to its approximate "birthday" I'd sure appreciate it!

Thanks in advance!

Mach 1 Pilot

 

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[Roadquest]

Great button, I can't help with identifying it. But, I did want to welcome you to Tnet.

 

[Iron Patch]

Looks like a wood or bone back button. I'm thinking wood but it is striking me a little funny. Was it found with older items?

If correct probably mid. to late 1700s.

 

[Mach1Pilot]

Thanks Roadquest!

I'm new not only to this forum but also to MDing... like a lot of people I talk with "I always wanted one of those!"

Well now I have one. If I can only somehow become smarter than this machine....

Oh - I forgot to add... the button is fairly large - 1 7/8".

My wife wonders if its off of a saddle or other sort of horse equipment??

Iron Patch- I'm not sure what the back material is... its hard, but the texture is real odd to me.

It was the only thing I found around that specific spot- was planning on returning to the site but the elderly lady who owns the site it had a change of heart.... nothing I did caused this but she has decieded there will be no more detecting around this property. Its a bit disapointing as its right down the hill from my home and go by it every day. One good thing is before I had to stop I also found part of an old pocket watch. It was gold plated but is only the outer ring. Would have been nice to have found the rest of that too!

 

[Ohio Jerry]

Welcome to the forum! Could the back of your button be lead filled? I recently suffered a similar kick in the gut after obtaining permission to detect an 1800's homesite. The house sits empty and although the owner gave me permission he stopped by while i was detecting and said his father didn't approve and his father was financing the remodeling kinda thing. He apologized and said he'd try to talk to his dad about it but i figured it was just time to move on...You'll run in to situations like that,you just have to put it behind you and move on to the next site. Happy hunting,
Jerry

 

[sniffer]

from the looks I'd say a lead backed copper front button, within the right time frame for the place you're searching

 

[Mach1Pilot]

Thanks Jerry! I was just looking at your latest find - that's superb! Maybe someday I can be fortunate enough to find one of those! My oldest find in the week of owning this machine is a 1943 nickel (just found tonight, BTW) so I have a long way to go.

There are a lot of sites around, so the loss of that one isn't a huge deal. Tonight I was checking out the location of an old ballfield - also within walking distance of home. It hasn't been used in (we are guessing) about 75 years, and the road to it is long gone. Now its just a farmer's field, with no trace of exactly where the diamond or seating area were- except for field boundaries of woods and a fence row. Felt lucky that anyone even knew where it was -as most of the local "experienced" citizens couldn't remember the location. Felt even luckier to find the nickel without any guiding landmarks!

As for the back of the button, I don't think its lead- its eroded enough to be a bit on the coarse side. Would lead turn white?

 

[sniffer]

old lead turns white, look at civilwar bullets, I have a couple and one from the Chisolm trail

 

[Mach1Pilot]

Ok, cool. Did not know that about lead... would have never guessed! Thanks!

 

[Montana Jim]

Well - I'd think you could figure out if it's lead versus wood, cardboard, or bone.

I'm stuck as to what kind of shank it may have had... it almost looks like it had two bars or something rather than a button shank.

 

[BuckleBoy]

With the two bars attachment point on the back, I'd say you have one half of a bone-backed cufflink there.

 

[Montana Jim]

With the two bars attachment point on the back, I'd say you have one half of a bone-backed cufflink there.

It's almost 2 inches across though... thats one HUGE cufflink!

Horse boss or Rosette?

 

[BuckleBoy]

With the two bars attachment point on the back, I'd say you have one half of a bone-backed cufflink there.

It's almost 2 inches across though... thats one HUGE cufflink!

Horse boss or Rosette?

Oops! Yes, it could be a rosette then. Or one BIG dandy button (which is possible too)...

Depends on whether it is lead backed or not, I think.

 

[Montana Jim]

I need to bow to Iron Patche's knowledge... he's a rev era guru. I have no clue about those buttons...

 

[Felinepeachy]

I had to resize to see it better. Hope you don't mind.

 

[trikikiwi]

Looks like bone and a 'bridge' rather than two bars

 

[Mach1Pilot]

As I keep studying it, I'm leaning toward this being a bone backed button. In any event, I'm thrilled with the find on my first hunt! 8)

Part of me wants to try to clean/polish it a bit to see if it has any markings, but part of me says to let it alone. Guess there is no need to be in a hurry to make that decision.

 

[Bartman]

Everything so far seems to be saying bridal rosette.

 

[Iron Patch]

I need to bow to Iron Patche's knowledge... he's a rev era guru. I have no clue about those buttons...

Guru I am not.

The item in question is made the same way as an early button but like I said there's something about it that couldn't push me over the edge. Now that I know the size I am quite convinced it is not. The back being lead would make sense.

 

[MonkeyBoy]

Check the weight.. it "looks" like a rosette... but kinda small Pony Rosette?? ;-)

MonkeyBoy