✅ SOLVED Brass rivet with bust on it?

[Nathan6309]

Hey guys! Went back home for fall break and decided to do a little detecting. I went back to a site where I found an entire coats worth of Virginia militia buttons, as well as a few other small things. Didn’t get much today from that area. One shotgun shell and this rivet. Upon finding it, I didn’t think much of it and tossed it in my bag. When I cleaned it, however, I found that it had a bust on it surrounded by stars. I’ve never seen a fancy rivet like this, so does anybody have any idea what this might be? I apologize in advance for the quality of the photos, but the river is so worn it was almost impossible to get the details to show on the camera. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

 

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[Retired Sarge]

Looks like a possible shirt stud or cuff link to me.

 

[Nathan6309]

Looks like a possible shirt stud or cuff link to me.

That’s what I was thinking. Upon cleaning the back, it doesn’t seem to look like a rivet. Reminds me of a coronet half cent, only it doesn’t have a date on it, from what I can see.

 

[Fourman110]

Sort of a $1 gold coin bust to it as well. Maybe plated at one time.

 

[Nathan6309]

Sort of a $1 gold coin bust to it as well. Maybe plated at one time.

Definitely could have been. Was one of the only promising signals at that spot in a while, so it was an exciting discovery.

 

[Nathan6309]

Sort of a $1 gold coin bust to it as well. Maybe plated at one time.

I think you’ve got it! Looks almost identical to an 1850’s gold dollar. This makes perfect sense, as I dug an entire confederate Virginia Militia coat only a few steps from where this was found. I wouldn’t be surprised if it came off of that soldier’s coat.

 

[UnderMiner]

At just a quick glance an early American liberty head is clearly in profile. It was probably gilded at one point to give the impression of being made from a US gold coin.

 

[duggap]

At one time they put one of those on a watch chain, some were fake and some were real.