289 antique porcelain buttons and 12 suspender clips

[metaldetecta]

Found these today in a hole while detecting. I was shocked by the quantity.

 

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[metaldetecta]

Can you post some close ups of the suspender clips?

I will when I get home. They look pretty old.

 

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[Molewacker]

Seeing the buttons brought back a memory of my Great Grandmother -

I think you found the remains of a button jar - GG saved every button when clothes were too worn to keep -

Waste not - want not

 

[scruggs]

What a hoard that was, congratulations!

 

[metaldetecta]

Here is a pic of the suspender clips. I have 12 total, but some of them were in such bad shape, they weren't worth taking a picture of. I found abot 50 more buttons today, but there are still more.

 

[metaldetecta]

60 buttons today and 1 suspender clip

 

[metaldetecta]

60 total buttons and 1 suspender clip today.

 

[Steve in PA]

Here is a pic of the suspender clips. I have 12 total, but some of them were in such bad shape, they weren't worth taking a picture of. I found abot 50 more buttons today, but there are still more.

Thanks for the pic. I was hoping you had some ones with cool designs, but they all look pretty generic.

 

[metaldetecta]

Here they are cleaned up. I will try to go back tomorrow if I have time.

 

[metaldetecta]

Thanks for the pic. I was hoping you had some ones with cool designs, but they all look pretty generic.

Thank you. Only one of the suspender clips has been decorative so far with flowers. Most of them are plain. Any idea on age?

 

[metaldetecta]

58 more today with a suspender clip. I'm at over 400 total!

 

[highnam]

Crazy cool find! I'm a lover of all things buttons.... I think the best way to date your button cache is to post pics of the metal buttons, especially any that have writing on them. Pics of front and back. Your suspender clips look to me like late 1800's as suspended clips changed design by 1900 to suspenders that look more like these...
For so many suspender clips I don't see a many metal buttons. They could have used sew on buttons and hid under clothing and which case your clips could be more modern. They don't look like "work" type suspender clips.
You may have buttons from multiple materials...Hard rubber, Bakelite, celluloid, glass, metal, mother of pearl, bone...really great find!!

 

[metaldetecta]

Crazy cool find! I'm a lover of all things buttons.... I think the best way to date your button cache is to post pics of the metal buttons, especially any that have writing on them. Pics of front and back. Your suspender clips look to me like late 1800's as suspended clips changed design by 1900 to suspenders that look more like these... View attachment 1524165
For so many suspender clips I don't see a many metal buttons. They could have used sew on buttons and hid under clothing and which case your clips could be more modern. They don't look like "work" type suspender clips.
You may have buttons from multiple materials...Hard rubber, Bakelite, celluloid, glass, metal, mother of pearl, bone...really great find!!

Thanks for the reply! Here are pictures of the front and back of the metal buttons, they don't have any writing from what I can see. 3 of the suspender clips have 1855 patent dates. I appreciate the information.

 

[highnam]

Definitely 1800's and predates most of the buttons I have found. I wish I could add more, I hope some others chime in, I would go back and sift that spot, with so many non-metal buttons your sure to miss a few. Is there a ton of nails in the area?

 

[metaldetecta]

Definitely 1800's and predates most of the buttons I have found. I wish I could add more, I hope some others chime in, I would go back and sift that spot, with so many non-metal buttons your sure to miss a few. Is there a ton of nails in the area?

Thanks for the info. All the nails are all square nails. I have found about 20 so far. Some of them are about 3 or 4 inches long and super thick. The only problem is this spot is in a busy park right next to a trail. I think I will just get a spaghetti strainer or something to use as a sifter. I don't want to dig too deep, or use too big of a sifter because I don't want to get in trouble. The spot is all dirt that I dig at, so I am not too worried. I always fill in my hole where I am digging at the end of the day.

 

[tav396]

Early paper mills used old clothes to make paper. We have been searching for the first paper mill here for the button dump. Found quite a few in area but no cache like yours!

 

[metaldetecta]

Early paper mills used old clothes to make paper. We have been searching for the first paper mill here for the button dump. Found quite a few in area but no cache like yours!

Thank you for the info!

 

[Gavinsdiscoveries]

Maybe a womans sewing bag was full of buttons and she lost it. Did you find any sort of leather or pouch in the hole? Gavin M.

 

[Old Pueblo]

Awesome find! I heard that these glass buttons were common in Victorian times, so I bet they're all 1800s.

 

[metaldetecta]

Maybe a womans sewing bag was full of buttons and she lost it. Did you find any sort of leather or pouch in the hole? Gavin M.

There was no leather or cloth. Thank you

 

[metaldetecta]

Awesome find! I heard that these glass buttons were common in Victorian times, so I bet they're all 1800s.

Thank you for the info. Any idea on what decade they were made? Many of the suspender clips were patent 1855.