Ok…so an update on the buttons. Had an expert look at them recently.
The cs navy button is a CS54. British made with a Courtney and tennent Charleston sc backmark. Pretty excited about that one, it’s likely a once in a lifetime, even though the 150+ yrs in the ground wasn’t the best to it.
The eagle (last 2 below) has a scovill backmark, but I can’t id the front yet. The eagles wings are at a sharper angle than anything I can find.
Third, (in original posting, middle in this posting) the va button is the real surprise…..an unlisted 22mm VA203 with a “Young. Smith & Co*/New-York" backmark. To my knowledge the only known examples of a button with this front/back combo are cuff/vest buttons.
To make it even more odd all 3 of these buttons came out of a 5’ x 10’ area. Nothing else popped out in subsequent hunts, but the first one was certainly memorable.
Oh….button expert advised against cleaning further…..so they are what they are.