A bit different flat button

[TNGUNS]

Have dug numerous flat buttons and other relics from this same little field that borders the old water common in a ghost town near the Tennessee River. The town started in 1812 and have made a post or two about how odd it is to dig so many relics from it's beginning in 1812 through the Civil War yet no coins from the period. Decided to try it again (really wanting a coin) and did come up with a little different flat button. Most of them are fairly plain but back marked and British. Many still have some gold or silver wash and have been dated from 1810 through about 1840. This one is a bit more ornate than most and domed. Would love to know the approximate age. Got one more plain flat with a bit of silver and an old lid of some kind. Really just wanted a bit of input on the button. Thanks in advance and HH.



Sorry to use the penny as a size reference but batteries dead in calipers. ha ha.

 

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[Ahab8]

I love that button brother and I really love seeing you take a bit of time for yourself to get out. Is that a seam line across the back? It's hard to tell but that would help to date it if it is. Great find bud

 

[TNGUNS]

Yep Abe, very obvious seam line that appears to be from casting.

 

[bootybandit]

Very nice!

 

[VOL1266-X]

That's a beauty TNG!! Very nice find. WTG, Q.

 

[johnnyblaze]

Cool button almost reminds me of a calender coin..


~Blaze

 

[TNGUNS]

Thanks Q. and Blaze, should have taken a pic from the side as it is domed a bit. Just somewhat different than I am used to finding around here. God knows I have found the buttons, just not the coins ha ha.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Real neat looking button! Hopefully it may turn out to be rare!

Hope the coin start making themselves known soon!

 

[g-olden years]

Love the button! Reminds me of the big sunflowers that are ready right now to bloom on my porch, with their wide domed middle sections surrounded by petals.

Hope someday soon you pull old silver coin from that site also. Andi

 

[TNGUNS]

Well I did find out via TheCannonballGuy that the button does have a neat history. It was originally a British button that was taken by an American manufacturer and restruck in a split-anvil die to obliterate the British back mark so they could sell it. All this due to a little conflict called the War of 1812. Most likely manufactured between 1812 and 1820. I thought and thought about what I assumed was a mold line and for the life of me didn't see how it could make sense to cast a button with the seam line in the middle vs. at the edges. With it domed how could it be easily removed. Now I know. ha ha

 

[Steve in PA]

Very cool button! Surprising you haven't found any period coins.

 

[TNGUNS]

Very cool button! Surprising you haven't found any period coins.

All I can say is the Coin Gods hate me. I even started a thread about it. Several have suggested the sites may have been cherry picked, but I can assure you that many of them weren't. Even in the sites that may have been hit, who would pass on the coin range brass whatsits and flat buttons and still not have missed a few coins. Beyond belief. I have hunted over 20 years with about 5 of them being very active at it, and it simply makes no sense. I do get modern stuff and a Barber or IH here and there but no coins that coincide with the dates of the relics or the well documented age of the sites.

 

[Greylock]

Don't give up on that site. I'm sure there's a coin waiting for you. I had a site I hit that didn't give up anything but buttons. Then the next time it was an 1805 dime and more buttons. Still the only coin from that site.

 

[Tedyoh]

All I can say is the Coin Gods hate me. I even started a thread about it. Several have suggested the sites may have been cherry picked, but I can assure you that many of them weren't. Even in the sites that may have been hit, who would pass on the coin range brass whatsits and flat buttons and still not have missed a few coins. Beyond belief. I have hunted over 20 years with about 5 of them being very active at it, and it simply makes no sense. I do get modern stuff and a Barber or IH here and there but no coins that coincide with the dates of the relics or the well documented age of the sites.

Trust me, you're not the only one TN- I feel you pain... mid 1800's buttons, pocket watch parts, rosettes, IH's, 2 centers, shield nickels yet no silver.....yet this one fact keeps me packing in my gear and going back, something has to be there.

 

[CoilyGirl]

The button is wonderful and I have a feeling the silver couldn't be too far off.

 

[Old Dude]

I love that button brother and I really love seeing you take a bit of time for yourself to get out. Is that a seam line across the back? It's hard to tell but that would help to date it if it is. Great find bud

Great button, TnG!
Abe, how does the seam line tell the age in this example?

 

[Ahab8]

Great button, TnG! Abe, how does the seam line tell the age in this example?

OD that's referred to as a restrike anvil seam. It's of brass composition but one of the most telling parts is the way the shank is attached. It's called a brass eye with foot, soldered to back. The attachment process is the most telling. Most earlier buttons with a seam are of one piece construction including the eye and button. You can tell a lot by the shanks and the design of the eye. I'll post up some good references at some point. You can really learn a lot from buttons composition, size, shank attachment and loop design. My Alberts book is on order so I'm excited to learn more about the military stuff. Even though I only have one example lol
But the seam line itself can be found on buttons dating from 1750-1820. You have to go a but further to really nail date a small date range

 

[Dman]

That is a really nice button. Congrats on a good find.

 

[treblehunter]

All I can say is the Coin Gods hate me. I even started a thread about it. Several have suggested the sites may have been cherry picked, but I can assure you that many of them weren't. Even in the sites that may have been hit, who would pass on the coin range brass whatsits and flat buttons and still not have missed a few coins. Beyond belief. I have hunted over 20 years with about 5 of them being very active at it, and it simply makes no sense. I do get modern stuff and a Barber or IH here and there but no coins that coincide with the dates of the relics or the well documented age of the sites.

Our theory is a simple one, that span of history people just did not lose silver, if you did, you looked like hell until you found it. I remember early 60's, a nickel, a dime, especially a quarter went a long way. Your going back three more generations, it was way different how far money went in those days.

 

[RelicMedic]

Wow that is way cool! Never seen one before. Awesome piece of history!