My First Civil War Artifct? - A button!

[THUNDERCHIEF]

My First Civil War Artifact? - A button!

This thing is small. Must be a cuff button? Not sure but think its a civil war Union uniform button? One of the pics shows it on a penny for size.









/John

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[vpnavy]

A member will jump in shortly to help ID - in the meantime, you have a great find THUNDERCHIEF.

 

[cntrydncr1]

really nice button! congrats

 

[CRUSADER]

As far as I know its the backmark that will conclude it CW & I don't see one? What happened to the back, is it steel/iron?

 

[Stealth digger]

I love that thing!

 

[THUNDERCHIEF]

What happened to the back,....?

Its been in the ground for 150 years so the back is a bit corroded. Not sure what its made of.... Magnet sticks to the back but not the front.

I dug it next to a cellar hole at a homestead that was abandoned in the late 1800's.

 

[CRUSADER]

I think these steel back types are just post CW, but I will wait for the US experts to chime in.

 

[Atomic Ed]

Very nice find! I would love to find something of historic value like that.

 

[Dug]

I have never seen a tin back General service yet, but my experience has been typically that recessed shields (like yours) were normally CW period and raised shields were post. Maybe Cannonballguy, Ironpatch, or CC can nail this one down.

 

[genlee]

That is a transition eagle button, issued around 1840ish, the shank looks like it is brass or copper, so my guess is the backmark is there and if my research is correct this is a Scovills button. Now keep in mind there were literally 100's of die variations due to the many button manufactures out there.

So yes this is a period button. And a fine example to boot.


John

 

[genlee]

Actually dug I have owned several tined/iron backed buttons that were period, the navy did this for their cuff sized examples, and generally speaking you are correct that general services button would have a blank brass back, which I own several examples of those as well.


John

 

[Dug]

Actually dug I have owned several tined/iron backed buttons that were period, the navy did this for their cuff sized examples, and generally speaking you are correct that general services button would have a blank brass back, which I own several examples of those as well.


John

I dug a Marine Corps coat button a few months ago with a tin/iron back. By shape it was period, by design who knows since there has little change in design, but I have never gotten any specific data on when Marine Corps tin/iron backs were made, only speculation. I guess the jury is still in deliberation on that one, but my gut feeling is that it is period.

 

[CoilyGirl]

Bumping this in hopes one of our experts can steer you in the right direction.That button is a beauty though.

 

[THUNDERCHIEF]

That is a transition eagle button, issued around 1840ish, the shank looks like it is brass or copper, so my guess is the backmark is there and if my research is correct this is a Scovills button. Now keep in mind there were literally 100's of die variations due to the many button manufactures out there.

So yes this is a period button. And a fine example to boot.


John

Wow, Pre-CW? Thats amazing!

 

[BuckleBoy]

Great button. Either cuff or kepi size. And it's a great find. I did dig one of those until I had dug 20 or 30 coat sized CW eagle buttons.

Cheers,

Buck

 

[CRUSADER]

Great button. Either cuff or kepi size. And it's a great find. I did dig one of those until I had dug 20 or 30 coat sized CW eagle buttons.

Cheers,

Buck

So?

Is it pre CW, CW, or post? I thought we would have an answer by now, but I'm just more confused than when I guessed.

 

[Steve in PA]

I dug an Iron backed eagle cuff at a DIV hunt in Culpeper, VA last year. That was in an 1863/1864 winter camp. Even if yours was manufactured in the 1840s or 50s, it is considered a period button. Congrats on your first CW button!

 

[Steve in PA]

Here are pics of my iron backed eagle GS cuff along with a coat size brass backed button from the same camp. These were dug within a few yards of each other in the same 1863/1864 winter camp in Culpeper, VA.

 

[Doc Arey]

Very Nice!

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Here are pics of my iron backed eagle GS cuff along with a coat size brass backed button from the same camp. These were dug within a few yards of each other in the same 1863/1864 winter camp in Culpeper, VA.

I think within Stafford,Spotsylvania,Culpeper, Fredericksburg there are nearly 1 million eagle buttons lost! Glad you enjoyed the DIV !