1800s Gilt Button - NEW Pictures -

[Indiana Digger]

1800's Gilt Button - NEW Pictures -

I dug this old button recently from a site that's been producing relics from 1800-1870.

Any ideas on how old or who made it? I can't read the backmark.





HH,

~Indiana Digger~

 

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[creskol]

Re: OLD Buttons - but don't know anything about them

WoW .. What neat buttons! People tell me that I am losing my buttons all the time

 

[allen]

Re: OLD Buttons - but don't know anything about them

they both are nice looking !

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Re: OLD Buttons - but don't know anything about them

It looks like the Star of David. it looks very similar to the star on the silver 3 cent pieces, which would date it to the 1850's.

I just realized that there are 18 dots in the middle, so it is definitely a Jewish related button.

The number 18 is very significant, because it is the numerical value of the word Chai, meaning life. The two Hebrew letters that make up the word "chai" are chet and yud. In Gematria (the numerical value of Hebrew letters), chai is equivalent to 8 and yud is equivalent to 10. So "chai", chet and yud together, equals 18. Donations to Jewish charities and gifts are routinely made in denominations of 18 for that reason.

Perhaps it was a token that was given in exchange for a donation, or it was part of a nice set of buttons that was given as a gift.

Nice save!