1795 Silver Button found with Hogge

[Digginitrtb2]

Button was found yesterday. Have been a member as "digginitrtb" for years. Had to change to digginitrtb2., as I forgot password.LOL. As in hogge posting..... help is needed on this. We think it has something to do with Freemasons. Nice early relic.

 

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[DownNDirty]

Here is the back of a button/cuff link made from a half real, that I found last year-next to the back of the button that is the subject of this post. The shanks are very similar

 

[trdking]

Great find. Very intriguing. I have little knowledge on a possible link to an early fraternity. I would certainly pursue a lot research on this particular find and recommend you contact Robert Silverstein via his website on early buttons - GWI, early patriotic, diplomatic, military, etc. He had expanded his website considerably and his cataloguing is very impressive. Perhaps he can be of assistance on possible significance of this unusual find. Regardless of what is determined, you have a quality find. Congrats. I hope they everybody could get on one thread to follow the search for information on your button. We all need to be on the same sheet of music.

http://http://www.georgewashingtoninauguralbuttons.com/

here is the fixed link George Washington Inaugural Buttons

 

[hogge]

Robert Silverstein gave me a 2 word text......"Frat Button". I thanked him for his input, but wrong answer. I have info on this that I will share tonight. Lengthy response. I've been wrong before, and not afraid to admit it......BUT.....When I post what I found out tonight, should shed some light on what it was. PHI-LAMBDA-SIGMA......."Pharmacy-Leadership-Society". The very first Phi-Lambda-Sigma frat, (at any college), was at Auburn U. in 1965....NOT 1795. To be continued.......OH.....By the way.....I believe that CRUSADER was right in that there were more, not just the single we found, only I believe they were made for a specific doctor in Western Ma. Look up...."Dr. Peter Bryant Cummington or Plainfield Ma." The etching below the letters depicts a "CADUCEUS". Take a look.

 

[cheffer]

Interesting, can't wait to hear more Hogge. You guys have a great site there, hope to run into you one of these days

 

[Stoneman227]

Absolutely amazing button ! A big Congrats !
I do wonder at the scroll work representing the doctor you mentioned.
Fron what I have been reading on the use of the Caduceus , your button predates the medical meaning of the symbol in the United States.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caduceus_as_a_symbol_of_medicine
To me the Greek letters appear to be initials, given the periods after each letter.
Possibly one of a set of buttons commemorating an event

 

[hogge]

It's all speculation at this point. I can safely say it's not a Frat button though. Too early as the ONLY Frat during this period in time was Phi-Beta-Kappa at William and Mary. Elements of this Frat also surfaced at Harvard, and I believe Yale, in the 1780's. At William and Mary, the Frat meeting house was also referenced as having The Freemasons having meetings there also. Do you also think the scrolling under the letters depicts a caduceus as I do? It's pretty unmistakable if you ask me.

 

[Stoneman227]

The scroll work could be a stylized caduceus but wouldn't the double snakes be just as important as both wings ?
The button could be a membership "pin"for the secret society that was at William and Mary around that time.

Being a secret society , their pinning may have been accomplished with a button with the new members initials in greek letters .
Here you can see Latin abriviations were being used to describe members dor secrecy.

 

[hogge]

As you can see the caduceus was very tiny on the inscription of the button. The scroll around the bottom looks like an attempt to depict both snakes IMO. Caduceus represents, (or means) healer in greek. PHI- Pharmacy or "medicine" as we call it. I'm sure you know this. Trying to compile input and I do welcome all I can get. Eventually someone may discover what this was. THANK YOU.....and keep it coming. Hogge

 

[johnnyblaze]

I think it could be an Alchemist button.......

~Blaze~

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

I'm surprised this unique artifact isn't getting more attention. I've dug thousands of colonial buttons, but have never seen anything quite like this. This example was very professionally done, and the hand-etching including that awesome date is amazing. Super cool find!!!

 

[xr7ator]

Being in Denver, Buttons usually don't get much attention, but that is a super find.
Congratulations and thanks for taking the time to post.

 

[BuffaloHunter]

I voted banner. Anything that old, let alone silver, gets a place in my book.

 

[hogge]

I think it could be an Alchemist button.......

~Blaze~

Johnny Blaze!! I actually looked at this chart. No symbols to coincide with the Greek symbols though.

 

[hogge]

I'm surprised this unique artifact isn't getting more attention. I've dug thousands of colonial buttons, but have never seen anything quite like this. This example was very professionally done, and the hand-etching including that awesome date is amazing. Super cool find!!!

Thanks Bill! Kinda with ya on this one. Great find by my brother in law. Trying to get as much research and info as possible to ID what it could have been. May do an article about it. Been detecting 20 years now. Finding.....what I believe pre-dates the use of the caduceus in US medicine might be interesting to some historians. Just found something interesting. The "Staff of Asclepius" was more associated with medical practice than the caduceus. The "S.o.A." had only 1 snake and no wings around the staff. The button has what looks like one snake around the staff, but also has wings. The caduceus was associated with "Hermes" or Mercury. HMMM. The Staff of Asclepius is still in use today along with the caduceus. From what I have read.....quite an argument among scholars about the use of both.

 

[sandchip]

Just saw this and I agree, it definitely should be up top. Dang, what a great find!

 

[Digginitrtb2]

First I'd like to thank everyone for the comments ,anyway you look at it even if we're not positive what it means it's the coolest button I've ever found in my years of detecting ,I've found hundreds of colonial buttons but none have put a smile on my face like this silver button with a 1795 date on it I know it was special to someone back in the day ,but now it's special to me , I'm glad to have shared it here for all to see. Keep digging ⛏

 

[Isaac]

WOW, that's the best button I've ever seen!!!!!!!!! I'm stupefied!!!

 

[gwdigger]

Surprised this remarkable find isnt up top already. Banner vote going in now.

 

[toasted]

Surprised this remarkable find isnt up top already. Banner vote going in now.

It may have something to do with it being a new member account or maybe its just not as bannerworthy as a walker spill. Id love to dig both but good early finds sometimes get overlooked because so many members just dont have access to them