BUTTON I.D. HELP (Federal engineer button) WHAT VARIETY?

[mattysee]

i found this button yesterday, cant figure out variety and year.....any help would be good

 

[DainBrammage]

Combat Engineer

150th Combat Engineer Battalion (of WWII) Site Entrance Page

Corps of Engineers

http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=essayons

 

[mattysee]

i dont thinks its that new, no horizontal lines, nothing coming off banner, and no rim, thank you though

 

[DainBrammage]

Read the links... that "essayons" has been in use since the war of 1812. Many different nuances,


Google is your friend...

Ridgeway Civil War Archive Buttons from Federal Engineers

 

[DainBrammage]

Here' another that appears to match yours EXACTLY

Antique Civil Ware Essayons Uniform Button (03/11/2013)

 

[mattysee]

yeah still no match mine has no tail feathers at all

 

[vpnavy]

Great find! Thanks for sharing...

 

[mattysee]

yes it does thank you for the research ive looked at atleast 20 diff styles of this button lol

 

[voodoo]

Nice! good luck with the ID

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

The "rimless" 2-piece brass version of US Army Engineers (like yours) was made during the late-1800s through early-1900s. A rimless one which is extremely similar to yours (but not quite exact, due to tailfeathers) is shown in the Alphaeus H. Albert button-book as button EG-9, with a late-1800s Waterbury Button Company backmark.
I checked the Waterbury Button Company's catalog from the year 1900, and the US Engineers button in it has a rim... so the WBC had switched to making the rimmed version by that year.

Your button's "Extra Quality" backmark is written in serifed lettering (not plain-block lettering), which is an additional indication that it is from no later than the very-early 1900s.

 

[mattysee]

thank you very much, its nice to know the variety