| Description |
"I've never seen one of these before," thought Dan Patterson as he scrutinized the button he'd just dug behind an 1830s Mississippi courthouse. Backmarked "WASHINGTON," with a border of stars at the top and an eagle at the bottom, it was definitely a first for him. Dan sent a photo of it to a leading buttons expert, whose reaction was the same. Another stated that two more had been reported, but little else was known about it. It's been suggested, on the basis of its style and construction, that it may have been issued around 1832 to mark the centennial of George Washington's birth. Other patriotic and political backmarks appear on buttons of that period (the well-known 1828 Andrew Jackson buttons, for example), and a c. 1832 find would fit the history of the site as well. For now, it's anybody's guess... but it's Dan's button! |
