button found at rev war skirmish site 40 miles northwest of charleston sc

[Wrecker58]

...I have recently been trekking through miles of rural woods trying to locate a rev skirmish site...after many hours i finally started locating musket balls; at the end of the hunt i located this beautiful button with the shank still attached. I haven't had any luck identifying the design on the front of the button- appears to me as a snake skin design-there are NO markings on the backside either. Any help would be greatly appreciated; thanks for looking----sorry about how large the image is-im still learning how to upload photos through gnu image program
-cj

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Looks like a civilian button but we need to see a pic of the back. I have seen this design before. http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,259110.0.html

 

[CC Hunter]

Post Rev War is the time-frame I believe. The button appears to be an early 19th century civilian style button with a decorative design. Is it two-piece or one-piece construction?

(Your photo has been reduced and cropped for ease of viewing)

CC Hunter

 

[Wrecker58]

Post Rev War is the time-frame I believe. The button appears to be an early 19th century civilian style button with a decorative design. Is it two-piece or one-piece construction?

(You photo has been reduced and cropped for ease of viewing)

CC Hunter

thanks for helping with pic- one piece construction

 

[CC Hunter]

Possibly around 1820ish period I would say.

The Rev War buttons are rather distinctive in their style and construction. Most military buttons of that period were cast pewter. Tombac metal is also frequently seen in the civilian buttons of the era. There are many clues to look for in proper identification of Rev War period buttons. When searching areas with 300+ years of continuous activity and occupation, there are often earlier and later period relics surfacing, which challenge the relic hunter in proper time-frame attribution.

CC Hunter

 

[BioProfessor]

I have found a number of buttons with designs similar to this both here and in the UK. They are considered to be buttons from the "Golden Age of Buttons" as they were finding newer and better ways to make lots and lots of buttons with all kinds of designs.

So I agree early 1800's and civilian not military. With the musket balls in the area, I would say you are at an early 1800's house site and not a skirmish site.

I've looked all over Edisto for these kind of sites. Found a couple so they are definitely here.

Daryl

 

[Wrecker58]

Possibly around 1820ish period I would say.

The Rev War buttons are rather distinctive in their style and construction. Most military buttons of that period were cast pewter. Tombac metal is also frequently seen in the civilian buttons of the era. There are many clues to look for in proper identification of Rev War period buttons. When searching areas with 300+ years of continuous activity and occupation, there are often earlier and later period relics surfacing, which challenge the relic hunter in proper time-frame attribution.

CC Hunter

Hey thankyou for helping me id this relic. Its a really cool find;unfortunately not the relic im searching for. You are definitely correct about the challenges in this area. One spot im finding old pottery, musket balls, and square nails-------20 yards away im finding shotgun shells and caps to old liquor bottles. VERY frustrating! i've been searching this area for some time and still no dice. i was really hoping this button may have led me into the skirmish site. Guess an old hunter may have dropped this on his fowl hunt As far as the metals go i believe this resembles the tombac metal you speak of. once again i do appreciate you help- cj

 

[Wrecker58]

I have found a number of buttons with designs similar to this both here and in the UK. They are considered to be buttons from the "Golden Age of Buttons" as they were finding newer and better ways to make lots and lots of buttons with all kinds of designs.

So I agree early 1800's and civilian not military. With the musket balls in the area, I would say you are at an early 1800's house site and not a skirmish site.

I've looked all over Edisto for these kind of sites. Found a couple so they are definitely here.

Daryl

Bioprofessor! we meet again my friend ...you sure do have alot of information for a sleepy edistonian- jk...yea now that you say that i believe i have found an old home site. I went over the weekend and found a whole mess of square nails and random iron junk. Enough iron junk to drive me crazy.... I reckon there has been quite a bit of fowl hunting in this area over the years as well. Hows edisto treating you? well i hope.-there's enough history out there to keep one occupied thats for sure. Im getting ready to go to my best friends property out there at brick house plantation (just got the green light from him). Great area for hunting; if your interested i could definitely use a partner-especially one who can i.d stuff very well- thanks for your post -cj

 

[CC Hunter]

You are quite welcome for the info CJ. Your button though is definitely not made of tombac metal. Tombac was very popular from the late 1700's and into the early 1800's. The tombac metal is actually a very interesting alloy that is often seen being recovered with a dull silvery color, with few signs of corrosion or patina. The button you have appears to be gold gilt brass.

Musket balls were common everyday utilitarian items during the eighteenth century. Musket balls could indicate a skirmish site, as well as be common house site finds or random hunter losses. The context of all finds paints a truer picture. Nails and pottery tend to point towards a structure, possibly even a dwelling. The type of nails can certainly help determine the period of the site. If all the nails are machine cut square nails, then we are quite certainly looking at a site that dates well past the American Revolution. The correct nail for the period, will be forged "rose head" nails, with a distinct pointy head along with a certain crudeness and nonuniform shape. Remember as well, that any structures that are period and were in the proximity of a skirmish or battle, would have seen activity and be more likely to produce buttons and military items.

CC Hunter