Finally found some buttons

[flylaps]

I've hunted quite a few old sites now dating back to the early 1800's, but had never found a button yet.
Today I hunted an old town site that I have hunted before. No coins today, but I did find four buttons.
The top two are plain, but the bottom two both have eagles on.
US military buttons? CW era maybe?

 

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[Dred Pirat Dodd]

Those are cool. Post a pic when theyre clean plz.

 

[flylaps]

I tried peroxide on them and it helped a bit.
Any suggestions on cleaning them up better?

 

[Marc in VA]

Nice old buttons! The 2 piece eagle is a general service button and is most likely civil war period. The 1 piece eagle looks like a New York button and should say Excelsior above the eagle. That button is pre 1830. The backmark is the key to dating that one. The 2 plain buttons are early to mid 1800's. As far as cleaning buttons, stay away from peroxide. It is way to harsh and many buttons are too fragile for that type of cleaning. Take your one piece eagle and soak it in olive oil for a few hours. Then take a toothpick and gently try to scrape the hard crud off of it. Sometime I even use a straight pin. Good luck!

Marc

 

[hogge]

Warm water, a small amount of soap, and a SOFT toothbrush VERY LIGHTLY! After you do this once let it sit a day or two then repeat the process. AWSOME button on the lower right. I'd be extra careful with this one. I would never use peroxide on buttons. Copper coins only.

 

[Iron Patch]

Not sure where the peroxide fear comes from for buttons, many cleaners used are much harsher. In fact, HP is a great in bewteen cleaner. (stronger than soap & water but less than something like the A. jelly) I sometimes use it on buttons that I feel might have some gilt but i don't want to instantly wash away the patina/corrosion. I also add I like it because a soak in HP seems to keep patina better than a water rinse.

As for the bottom right button I'm not sure anything will help it, looks just a little 'too dug'.

 

[collector01]

nice buttons, keep hitting that spot theres a coin for you there somewhere.

 

[MrBling]

Those are some old buttons
If you found those, there must be some good relics and coins still left
Good luck!

 

[tymcmurray]

Great finds!!!
However they get cleaned.

 

[Colonial Zoyboy]

I looooooove that New York button.

Now, get back out there and dig us another one, buddy!

Kyle

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Not sure where the peroxide fear comes from for buttons, many cleaners used are much harsher. In fact, HP is a great in bewteen cleaner. (stronger than soap & water but less than something like the A. jelly) I sometimes use it on buttons that I feel might have some gilt but i don't want to instantly wash away the patina/corrosion. I also add I like it because a soak in HP seems to keep patina better than a water rinse.

As for the bottom right button I'm not sure anything will help it, looks just a little 'too dug'.

I have used the peroxide treatment on buttons, and have had mixed results. The problem is not the peroxide treatment. The problem is that many buttons look better before they are cleaned. Once they are cleaned, the corrosion is more apparent. This is especially noticable on back marks.

INHO, I will only clean buttons that appear to be free from corrosion in peroxide. The others get a good soaking in distilled (very important not to use tap) water, and a light brushing with a soft bristled toothbrush.

Congrats on some awesome buttons!!

 

[WM ARCH]

Way to go!! Yes, I believe you have your first Eagle button.

JC

 

[duggap]

The top two that look like coin buttons are actually off of the breast harness of a horse. Charlie Harris from American Digger IDed them from some he had. They even have the shank in them just like the buttons. They come in various sizes on the same leather ranging from about a dime to at least a quarter. Notice the beveled edge on the underside of the button. That is characteristic of those. Now they still may be a button but I would bet on harness items.

 

[Iron Patch]

Not sure where the peroxide fear comes from for buttons, many cleaners used are much harsher. In fact, HP is a great in bewteen cleaner. (stronger than soap & water but less than something like the A. jelly) I sometimes use it on buttons that I feel might have some gilt but i don't want to instantly wash away the patina/corrosion. I also add I like it because a soak in HP seems to keep patina better than a water rinse.

As for the bottom right button I'm not sure anything will help it, looks just a little 'too dug'.

I have used the peroxide treatment on buttons, and have had mixed results. The problem is not the peroxide treatment. The problem is that many buttons look better before they are cleaned. Once they are cleaned, the corrosion is more apparent. This is especially noticable on back marks.

INHO, I will only clean buttons that appear to be free from corrosion in peroxide. The others get a good soaking in distilled (very important not to use tap) water, and a light brushing with a soft bristled toothbrush.

Congrats on some awesome buttons!!

That's where experience comes into play. Anyone without it who starts making the judgement on their own is bound to mess up. (not that advice is easy to get online, pics can deceive) My first couple of years detecting I thought I was playing it safe not 'cleaning' anything, but in fact I was, water can hurt a dug item too.

 

[Detectingfreak]

Awesome job on the buttons!

 

[BuckleBoy]

Not sure where the peroxide fear comes from for buttons, many cleaners used are much harsher. In fact, HP is a great in bewteen cleaner. (stronger than soap & water but less than something like the A. jelly) I sometimes use it on buttons that I feel might have some gilt but i don't want to instantly wash away the patina/corrosion. I also add I like it because a soak in HP seems to keep patina better than a water rinse.

As for the bottom right button I'm not sure anything will help it, looks just a little 'too dug'.

I have used the peroxide treatment on buttons, and have had mixed results. The problem is not the peroxide treatment. The problem is that many buttons look better before they are cleaned. Once they are cleaned, the corrosion is more apparent. This is especially noticable on back marks.

INHO, I will only clean buttons that appear to be free from corrosion in peroxide. The others get a good soaking in distilled (very important not to use tap) water, and a light brushing with a soft bristled toothbrush.

Congrats on some awesome buttons!!

This is my problem with peroxide on buttons too. Don't EVER soak them in olive oil. And I don't even use a toothbrush on them anymore--except maybe on the face of a two-piece, convex button with a raised design--and only then with the toothbrush and button completely dry.

Please refer to my link on Cleaning Buttons in the cleaning and preservation section. If you want your buttons to look *Great* in a display case, if you want to be able to read the backmark after cleaning, please read.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,165857.0.html

If you have already cleaned them with water or anything else, then these cleaning methods of mine will not work.


Nice button finds! That early eagle button is a great save.



Regards,


Buckleboy

 

[Iron Patch]

Not sure where the peroxide fear comes from for buttons, many cleaners used are much harsher. In fact, HP is a great in bewteen cleaner. (stronger than soap & water but less than something like the A. jelly) I sometimes use it on buttons that I feel might have some gilt but i don't want to instantly wash away the patina/corrosion. I also add I like it because a soak in HP seems to keep patina better than a water rinse.

As for the bottom right button I'm not sure anything will help it, looks just a little 'too dug'.

I have used the peroxide treatment on buttons, and have had mixed results. The problem is not the peroxide treatment. The problem is that many buttons look better before they are cleaned. Once they are cleaned, the corrosion is more apparent. This is especially noticable on back marks.

INHO, I will only clean buttons that appear to be free from corrosion in peroxide. The others get a good soaking in distilled (very important not to use tap) water, and a light brushing with a soft bristled toothbrush.

Congrats on some awesome buttons!!

Don't EVER soak them in olive oil.


Regards,


Buckleboy

No question about that! Olive oil is the point of no return for cleaning buttons... and it's not really that effective either.

 

[flylaps]

Thanks everybody for the info on the buttons and the cleaning tips!
The New York button is in better shape on the back side then the front.
It has no lettering on the back, but it does have a wreath type design going all away around the loop.

Thanks again!