Are these really hessian buttons

Relicboy2257 · Mar 28, 2018

I found these buttons about a year ago and showed them to some people, and they said they are hessian buttons, I’m dieing to know the age of them, and if there really hessian buttons.

they have these weird holes in them.

Relicboy2257 · Mar 28, 2018

Click on image if backwards, and I’ll give a :icon_thumleft:

for anyone that knows what these buttons are.

Carolina Tom · Mar 28, 2018

They look like blow hole buttons to me. Do they have anything on the face of them?

grasshopper · Mar 28, 2018

Those particular buttons are called blow hole buttons. They are older than regular flat/tombac buttons. I've heard varying dates but I'm pretty sure they're early-mid 1700s.

Kiros32 · Mar 28, 2018

I'm leaning toward no. All of the Hessian buttons I have seen are Tombac buttons and yours appear to be brass.

Military Uniform & Civilian Buttons

Relicboy2257 · Mar 28, 2018

Click on image if backwards, and I’ll give a :icon_thumleft:

for anyone that knows what these buttons are.

Relicboy2257 · Mar 28, 2018

No designs on the face of them

Relicboy2257 · Mar 28, 2018

are they military

Old Bookaroo · Mar 28, 2018

A small historical note. It is very common to read that the Hessians fighting for the British army during our Revolution were mercenaries. That is not correct. Many German states drafted citizens to serve in the army. These troops were then rented - in this case, to the King of England. The soldiers had no choice in the matter.

After the peace treaty was signed many of them elected to remain in the new United States.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo