✅ SOLVED Button id please

[MrMikeJackie]

Found in a colonial field

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Treasure of Victoria Peak - Grab it through Amazon!

[TheCannonballGuy]

It is an early version of US Navy button, dating from the 1810s into the 1820s. To give you a more-specific ID, such as which button it is in the reference book on American uniform buttons by Alphaeus H. Albert, you'll need to clean it at least slightly enough to tell us the count of the stars encircling the eagle, and what the backmark says, if there is one. Also, does the eagle have a smale "spade" shield on its chest next to the large oval shield?

 

[MrMikeJackie]

I can make out 13 stars but there could be more. Nothing on the eagle chest, just an anchor on a shield to the side. Can't tell if the shield is oval or not. The back I can make out FINE GILT and L something. I took a tooth pick to it and soaked it in gun oil.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

A backmark on a cuff-size button saying Fine Gilt L-something could be L&T, which is Lewis & Tomes, a button maker in Birmingham England, who is known to have manufactured some US Navy buttons sometime between 1816 and 1833. Their New York City branch was in business from 1819 to 1826. The McGuinn & Bazelon book on button backmarks lists a US Navy button with a backmark saying "L&T / Fine Gilt / No." The US Navy button made by Lewis & Tomes is Albert's button NA44 -- but that's a 23mm ("coat size "button) and yours is a cuff, so the emblem on yours is slightly different from NA44 shown in the Albert book.

 

[MrMikeJackie]

A backmark on a cuff-size button saying Fine Gilt L-something could be L&T, which is Lewis & Tomes, a button maker in Birmingham England, sho is known to have manufactured some US Nay buttons sometime between 1816 and 1833. Their New York City branch was in business from 1819 to 1826. The McGuinn & Bazelon book on button backmarks lists a US Navy button with a backmark saying "L&T / Fine Gilt / No." backmark. The US Navy button made by Lewis & Tomes is Albert's button NA44 -- but that's a 23mm ("coat size button) and yours is a cuff, so the emblem on yours is slightly different from NA44 shown in the Albert book.

Thank you CBG, awesome as always!