Button found at old school site.....looking for approximate age.

[willy1970]

I found this button at an old school site that dates from the late 1800's. I am looking for help determining
the approximate age of the piece. The body is one single piece of copper and is almost exactly the same
diameter and thickness as a penny. There are remnants of gilding on the back. Sorry the gilding doesn't
show up real well in the picture -- I'm still trying to figure out our new digital camera.

Front view:

Back view:

Any help is greatly appreciated. If you need any other information, let me know.

Thanks in advance,
Willy

 

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[DCMatt]

Willy,

Plain flat buttons are always difficult to date. They made them like that from the mid 1700's right through the early 1900's. So the site usually dates the flat button. You're safe to assume yours in the date range of the site where you found it.

We've been hunting a site in Virginia where a couple dozen plain flat buttons came out of the ground. We were just guessing on age until a few very early 1800's coins popped out. Now we know the date range but we're still not sure what the site was used for. How many men does it take to lose 25 buttons in a small area? A bunch, I think. But what were they all doing?

Keep hunting and you'll find more clues. Hopefully, so will I.

DCMatt

 

[willy1970]

Thanks for the reply, DCMatt. I knew they made a ton of them and
was just curious as this is most likely the oldest item I've dug -- so far.

BTW, that sounds like a great site you have going -- good luck with it.

Thanks again,
Willy

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

1-piece Copper Alloy button's shank is shaped like the Greek letter Omega and soldered onto the back of flat disc button. Similar to Alpha shanks, but Omega shanks have feet.

after ~1800