Incredible One Piece Infantry Button

[OutdoorAdv]

I got out for a few hours after work yesterday to do a bit of sifting and detecting. I opened a pit section and it was pretty dead. A single pewter button turned up which wasnt much for a couple hours of moving dirt. So I took a break and went off to dig nails. I got a tone that was on the verge of detection with some iron sounds, in an area I have POUNDED for over a year. Its the type of signal that I have gotten to know well with my Deus... they are hard to hear, but when I find one it's usually something non-ferrous and very deep.

I removed 3 nails from the hole and there was still something deeper. I pulled the loose dirt from about 9" deep out with my glove and I saw half of a beautiful deep green object. At first I thought it was going to be another oval cufflink, but when I pulled it out of the dirt and saw the eagle I couldn't stop smiling.

Here it is right after it came out!



I typically find 2-piece Civil War Era military buttons. Those are always awesome to find, but I've wanted an earlier one piece brass military button for years. I see you guys post them and I drool over them. So I couldn't have been happier with this button, and I couldn't ask for one in better condition.

I looked in my Albert button book and it doesn't list this "Superb Imperial Stand*" as a backmark. If anyone can tell me just what variety this is, that would be AWESOME! It is a raised shield and it has a raised I... it also looks like the slanted shield type. I cant seem to ID it, but I would guess its 1820-1830 maybe?



The rest of the finds were meager. A small cuff sized brass flat button, a pewter button and a broken pewter button, then the usual pipe frags and pottery fragments. If it wasnt for the Infantry button, this is the type of hunt I don't bother with a post... but I still cant get over that button and keep staring at it.



Here are some better high-res button pictures in case the first 5 pictures weren't enough



Thanks for looking and Happy Hunting everyone.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

How to Research for Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting From Lead Generation to Vetting - Grab it through Amazon!

[Ahab8]

For sure 1821-1840 buddy. Great early one piece Artillery button.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Upgraded Night Vision Monocular Digital Infrared Monocular Telescope for 100% Darkness with 8X Zoom - Grab it through Amazon!

[OutdoorAdv]

Sweet button Brad
Congrats, Brad

Thanks Brad! Hope all is well up there man. Glad to see you pulling some keepers from your lake this summer.

Nice one piece infantry Brad. That one is in great shape. That raised shield wore down easily on those to the point you can't even see the I, but that certainly is not the case with yours. I have only found two of those over the years. One of them is pretty nice with a good bit of silver plating remaining.

Thanks Steve! Interesting about the raised I. It certainly is the highest point on the button and I image it would wear down pretty fast. I bet yours with the plating left sure looks good. I sure lucked out with the green patina this one has.

Nice find like to see when people find stuff that they really like Good job Thanks for sharing with us!!!!!!!

Thanks A2coins! Me too... sometimes seeing finds on here gets me motivated to get out when its so hot and humid.

Sweet button!!

Thanks deershed!

For sure 1821-1840 buddy. Great early one piece Artillery button.

Thanks man! I flipped through the Tice book quickly yesterday and it looked like it was just a reworded Albert's book!? I noticed that the Alberts reference number was above most of the button descriptions. Hard to believe that book was $60 when it was released and they sell used for $200 now... if its that much in demand, they should do another print run of them.

 

[Carolina Tom]

I missed this the other day. That's a really sweet button Brad.

Well done again sir!

 

[Steve in PA]

Thanks man! I flipped through the Tice book quickly yesterday and it looked like it was just a reworded Albert's book!? I noticed that the Alberts reference number was above most of the button descriptions. Hard to believe that book was $60 when it was released and they sell used for $200 now... if its that much in demand, they should do another print run of them.

Tice's book is sorely lacking when it comes to the earlier US buttons. He has the Civil War covered pretty well, but Alberts has much more on the early buttons.

 

[Ahab8]

Tice's book is sorely lacking when it comes to the earlier US buttons. He has the Civil War covered pretty well, but Alberts has much more on the early buttons.

Couldn't agree more. It's a great civil war book. The one thing I never ever find lol

 

[diggervet]

Great find, Gotta love those deep faint signals that get louder and louder! Congratulations!

 

[huntsman53]

Here is a Thread from 2010 on what looks like an identical button find. I don't believe they ever solved the question as the variety of the button in the thread as well. It says solved but there is no Albert's reference number.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/172401-one-piece-eagle-i-button-solved.html


Frank

 

[jwarner51]

Congrats big time bud! I know that feeling, I have tons of two piece civil war buttons but never an earlier button. And then my pal pulls out 3 very early eagle flatbuttons. Still on my list and I'm very glad you crossed it off yours!

 

[OutdoorAdv]

I missed this the other day. That's a really sweet button Brad.

Well done again sir!

Thanks a ton Tom!

Tice's book is sorely lacking when it comes to the earlier US buttons. He has the Civil War covered pretty well, but Alberts has much more on the early buttons.

Couldn't agree more. It's a great civil war book. The one thing I never ever find lol

Good to know Steve & Abe! I'm glad I didn't cough up the $$ to pick up a copy. While I mostly find Union CW buttons, I don't really care about IDing their varieties. Its those earlier buttons that I am more interested in learning more about.

Great find, Gotta love those deep faint signals that get louder and louder! Congratulations!

Thanks diggervet! Totally.. A faint signal that screams in the removed dirt is one of the best sounds out there. ha

Here is a Thread from 2010 on what looks like an identical button find. I don't believe they ever solved the question as the variety of the button in the thread as well. It says solved but there is no Albert's reference number.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/172401-one-piece-eagle-i-button-solved.html


Frank

Thanks a bunch Frank! That sure is the same button. First time I saw another one like this one. Looks like his still has some of the silver wash on it too. I read through all 3 pages on there and you're right... it doesn't look like a proper ID was made. I even opened a bunch of the links to other sites in the responses and most of them no longer exist with 404 errors.

Congrats big time bud! I know that feeling, I have tons of two piece civil war buttons but never an earlier button. And then my pal pulls out 3 very early eagle flatbuttons. Still on my list and I'm very glad you crossed it off yours!

Thanks a ton jwarner! Its pretty tough to complain about digging a CW era button, but you get it... while those CW buttons are nice and all, these earlier one pieces are just way more awesome. Keep at it and you'll get yours man. -Brad

 

[fyrffytr1]

While Albert's doesn't list your backmark I think your button is GI79E on page 36, picture on page 37. That is a beautiful button and in great shape.

 

[relic lover]

Congrats on finding an early button in such a condition. I have one similar to that I can't remember if the back Mark was readable or not. I think I will go pop it out of the display and give it the cleaning I have been putting off for years. I am more confident in my cleaning and preservation skills than I once was. Then we can compare the back marks. If I recall mine has some traces of gold Gilt.

 

[Trezurehunter]

Thats a very nice button. Congrats.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

While Albert's doesn't list your backmark I think your button is GI79E on page 36, picture on page 37. That is a beautiful button and in great shape.

Thanks a ton fyrffytr1! That's actually the same one I mentioned in comment 6... the shield and layout look so similar. If two of us can see the similarities then that's a good enough ID for me. ha I really appreciate you taking the time to look too.

Congrats on finding an early button in such a condition. I have one similar to that I can't remember if the back Mark was readable or not. I think I will go pop it out of the display and give it the cleaning I have been putting off for years. I am more confident in my cleaning and preservation skills than I once was. Then we can compare the back marks. If I recall mine has some traces of gold Gilt.

Thanks relic lover! Definitely let me know about your backmark. Good call on waiting to clean artifacts. Its so hard to hold off, but I always remind myself that I can clean more later, but cant undo what I have already cleaned.

Thats a very nice button. Congrats.

Thank you Trezurehunter!

 

[relic lover]

Definitely a different back Mark on mine. The button is definitely similar on the front

 

[relic lover]

I think I'm going to still hold off on the cleaning. The only cleaning it's really had was in the field when I first got it I spit on it and rubbed it on my jeans to see if it really had an eagle on it and that pretty much took it down to bare metal on all the high spots. That's the main reason I've never cleaned it I'm afraid it's pitted.

 

[Ahab8]

I think that button looks awesome as is. I think it will have some pitting under there.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Definitely a different back Mark on mine. The button is definitely similar on the front

I think I'm going to still hold off on the cleaning.

Awesome button man! I think I'd probably leave that one as is too and hold off indefinitely on cleaning. I don't think the front can get any better, however the back could probably improve with Aluminium Jelly. Buckleboy has a great button cleaning post in the preservation section. On the front of yours, between the head, wing and shield the gilt that is left looks raised above. So jelly would not work there and would make it look worse. Had the crud been on top of the gilt, then Jelly would make it look even better.

Sick button tho man!

 

[Steve in PA]

Brad I found a pic of my better one, along with some other one piece military. You can see mine still has a good bit of silver and a nice green patina. Unfortunately, it sits about 70 miles from where I sit, so no info on the backmark.

 

[Ahab8]

Brad I found a pic of my better one, along with some other one piece military. You can see mine still has a good bit of silver and a nice green patina. Unfortunately, it sits about 70 miles from where I sit, so no info on the backmark.

Wow I love the look of ALL of those early buttons

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Brad I found a pic of my better one, along with some other one piece military. You can see mine still has a good bit of silver and a nice green patina. Unfortunately, it sits about 70 miles from where I sit, so no info on the backmark.

WOW! Those 1 piece military buttons are some of my favorites.

Wow I love the look of ALL of those early buttons

Agreed... they are sick.