Unknown Cuff Button with Cross

[mangum]

I found this cuff button yesterday & wondering if anyone can shed any light on it. It has an iron back & what appears to be letters or something around the edge. I know the pics aren't the best. I don't want to clean further if it's something good. Any help would be appreciated.

 

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[mangum]

Crickets

 

[d2]

That is a sweet button other than that I am clueless, someone will chime in that knows I hope...d2

 

[DCMatt]

We really need to see the back to do any hard research. My guess is late 18th or early 19th C civilian - but I'm just guessing.

We call the small buttons "cuff buttons" but many of the early ones are actually waistcoat buttons.

DCMatt

 

[mangum]

We really need to see the back to do any hard research. My guess is late 18th or early 19th C civilian - but I'm just guessing.

We call the small buttons "cuff buttons" but many of the early ones are actually waistcoat buttons.

DCMatt

It is a 2 piece with an iron back. Nothing to see on the back except rust.

 

[mangum]

We really need to see the back to do any hard research. My guess is late 18th or early 19th C civilian - but I'm just guessing.

We call the small buttons "cuff buttons" but many of the early ones are actually waistcoat buttons.

DCMatt

Here are a couple pics including one of the back

 

[DCMatt]

I looked at this for a while. Didn't find anything definitive, but it may be earlier than I originally thought.

I can almost see the letters you mention on the front but can't make any out.

Any additional info you can give? General location of the find? Other relics found near it?

Hopefully someone else will chime in with another clue.

DCMatt

 

[mangum]

I looked at this for a while. Didn't find anything definitive, but it may be earlier than I originally thought.

I can almost see the letters you mention on the front but can't make any out.

Any additional info you can give? General location of the find? Other relics found near it?

Hopefully someone else will chime in with another clue.

DCMatt

I'm thinking it's probably mid 1800s but not sure. This was a house site in the upstate of SC. Finds included a CW burnside bullet, toe taps, a flat button, 1899 V Nickel, harmonica reeds etc, the usual house site stuff. I would say it dates to the mid 1800s at least if not older. This was our first time searching the site. I'm tempted to try another cleaning method to see if I can bring out the text. It may work, may not. That's always the chance you take.

 

[mangum]

A quick soak in ammonia revealed some gilt and that it was just a decoration around the edge. Oh well, still a cool button!

 

[stillwater]

that is a cool button. Ammonia....go figure!

 

[mangum]

that is a cool button. Ammonia....go figure!

It really does work wonders on gilt buttons. I used to use aluminum jelly but prefer this method now.