My first old button?

[jamiefind]

I'm still a newbie, but I'm working on shedding that skin. Is this actually a button? I found this in the dirt and gravel off the side of a porch on an 1885 house in the Mississippi (cotton land) delta. This tiny remote community had a cotton gin, rail station, post office, etc. The front looks like a button, maybe a hammered finish or something, but the back has this funky metal wad without any apparent holes for attaching to a garment. I suppose the shank could have broken and left this wad as a remnant? The "remnant" (if that's what it is) is almost pyramid shaped, but that's perhaps just from stretching or breaking. My second guess is that this is a decorative finishing brad like you see on nice furniture, but it seems too big for that, and the "flying saucer" edges wouldn't make much sense for that. FYI you are seeing the object after undergoing my low-quality electrolysis setup.

Hopefully someone out there is so familiar with buttons to either rule something out or contribute some wisdom or knowledge. The latter is ALWAYS most welcome.

 

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[CRUSADER]

We can rule out button, but not sure what to rule in.

 

[rick67]

You might be on right track with decorative finish brad.

 

[digging440yrs]

 

[jamiefind]

That makes sense. Being found at that spot, if it's a tack, it could be from just about anything. Found it under the portico by the porch. Thus it could be from a vehicle, wagon, horse, or anything else loaded or unloaded at the side of the big porch.

So is it modern?

Also, for my education, how do we rule out button?

 

[Crappies-n-Coins]

Puts me in the mind of the head of a broken carriage bolt rusted to a flat washer, and the bottom protrusion being where the bolt had broken.

 

[jamiefind]

Puts me in the mind of the head of a broken carriage bolt rusted to a flat washer, and the bottom protrusion being where the bolt had broken.

Dang, I hate to admit it, but that is a very convincing possibility. I'll look more closely after work today when I get home. The protrusion on the back could easily be where a carriage bolt head popped off under stress, thus the stretched look.

I guess it's time to get back out there and keep hunting....

 

[CRUSADER]

That makes sense. Being found at that spot, if it's a tack, it could be from just about anything. Found it under the portico by the porch. Thus it could be from a vehicle, wagon, horse, or anything else loaded or unloaded at the side of the big porch.

So is it modern?

Also, for my education, how do we rule out button?

I find over 1000 buttons a year, so experience rules it out. But to explain that is difficult other than you don't get iron buttons with iron shanks.

 

[BARKER]

HI jamiefind; It is a COMEMERATIVE Brooch from the turn of the Century. The image on the front is of Christopher Columbus. These were common back then. Many other famous people and Events were also commemorated in this manner. As for the backing. What you see is where either the pin was clamped on the back or where it was sewn on a garment such as a coat or dress. One side of the attachment device is missing. As for the "flying saucer edges", that is caused by nothing more than rust or corrosion being built up over the years. Value : $0.00. But still a nice find ok. I have found several of these over the years. Happy Hunting. PEACE:RONB

 

[jamiefind]

Puts me in the mind of the head of a broken carriage bolt rusted to a flat washer, and the bottom protrusion being where the bolt had broken.

We have a winner, I think:

 

[deepsecrets]

Iron door stud?

 

[BARKER]

Hi jamiefind; I'm stumped. Then how do you explain the design on the front. It may be that the brooch (if that is what it is now) may have become somehow attachached to that washer. That is a new one on me for sure. PEACE:RONB