Button ID

[Jyverb64]

I dug this button it measures 1" early this fall at a site where I got a 1798 large cent just wondering its age and manufacturer, thanks

 

[CRUSADER]

Circa 1830, nice backmark with the Eagle.

 

[Don in SJ]

I will find the reference but I believe that exact style was a bit earlier than 1830, most of mine like that are b/m MASON & SONS, TREBLE COLOUR, etc; one reference says early 19th century for Mason & Sons........ The ones like yours that look like pie plates are the older ones, flat ones can be into the 1830s I believe.

Ok, In Tice's book:
"Beginning around 1800 backmarks often included icons such as eagle, feather and crowns."

I have found this time frame more consistant to the other relics and coins found with those buttons. Tice has a Fig B-24, Pg 46, showing such buttons and says C. 1800

Don

 

[CRUSADER]

What I would love to know, as I get lots of these plated types, is what the silver metal is, I'm sure its not silver & often wondered if they were chroming in this period?

 

[Don in SJ]

What I would love to know, as I get lots of these plated types, is what the silver metal is, I'm sure its not silver & often wondered if they were chroming in this period?

Hmm, I have some "silvered" ones also of this type. I agree, not silver, usually does not tarnish.

In Tice's book, I could find no reference to anything other than silver plating, but did see Tin plating mentioned. Now this might be something to help, from Tice's section on Polishing and Plating; "In the last part of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries, plating was done by the Sheffield Thermal/mechanical process. Sheets of Sheffield plated copper were already covered with a layer of ilver when they arrived at the button shop."

I do not know if this "Sheffield plating of silver makes it different or not, but perhaps that is the answer?? I saw no mention of plating done like with what a Tombac button is, but yet the silver plating we are talking about acts like Tombac.

Don

 

[CRUSADER]

I thought it may have been Zinc chroming, but its a guess.

 

[hdmech71]

awesome looking button.

 

[got2dig]

Nice button.

 

[Jyverb64]

Thanks Don for the info on the button, that book sounds like a must have for buttons.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

At the time your button was manufactured (early-1800s), the term "plated" in a backmark always meant silver-plated. At that time, the term "gilt" always meant gold, and was used for what we now commonly call gold-plating. So, your button was silver-plated, and most probably was done with the "Sheffield Plate" process for silverplating (which was discovered by accident in 1743). Sheffield plate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Please note, the following info refers only to 1-piece brass flatbuttons. On that very specific type of button, indented-lettering (not raised-lettering) backmarks seem to have first been manufactured around approximately 1810. (Raised-lettering backmarking preceeds indented-lettering by 10-to-20 years.) So, I think your indented-lettering backmarked 1-piece brass flatbutton dates from no early than about 1810.

That being said, the eagle in your button's backmark means it dates from sometime around 1815 into the 1830s. Prior to the fledgling American button-making industry becoming capable of mass-producing brass 1-piece flatbuttons, nearly all such buttons had to be imported from Britain. British-made brass flatbuttons' backmarks often have the British Crown or other British emblems, and/or British spellings such as "colour" instead of the American English spelling "color." The War Of 1812 (through 1815) caused the American public to feel patriotic hostility about buying British-made products, which persisted for about ten years after the end of the war in 1815. Therefore, American button-makers sometimes included an American Eagle symbol in their backmarks, to distinguish them from British-made buttons. Therefore, the eagle in your button's backmark dates it from sometime between aproximately 1815 through the 1820s.

 

[oldsalty19]

Happy Holidays and HH

 

[Jyverb64]

That's great info Cannonballguy, thanks for the history thats some good stuff

 

[Gunrunner61]

You guy's STILL amaze me! Great Information..............................HH

 

[70monte68]

Hmm, I have some "silvered" ones also of this type. I agree, not silver, usually does not tarnish.

In Tice's book, I could find no reference to anything other than silver plating, but did see Tin plating mentioned. Now this might be something to help, from Tice's section on Polishing and Plating; "In the last part of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries, plating was done by the Sheffield Thermal/mechanical process. Sheets of Sheffield plated copper were already covered with a layer of ilver when they arrived at the button shop."

I do not know if this "Sheffield plating of silver makes it different or not, but perhaps that is the answer?? I saw no mention of plating done like with what a Tombac button is, but yet the silver plating we are talking about acts like Tombac.

Don

Don, in Tice's book does it mention a time frame for the tin plating? I pretty sure i found a few and am trying to date the site.

This site has produced sevral tombac type buttons.

Thanks
Don

 

[smokeythecat]

I agree with cannonball guy. Silver plated brass, time range 1800-1830 more or less.