Button with Gold gilt

[kg6yll]

Found at a Mining campsite here in the California Gold Country. Back says Superfin Paris. Front appears to have a rose with gold gilt with possibly a six sided star in the middle of the flower. The area around the flower I believe is ablalone shell. Hopefully you button experts can date and identify for me. Hope everyone is getting out a little bit and swinging their detectors.

KG6YLL

 

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[ridge_runner]

Beautiful button.....Could be mother of Pearl!!!!!? Great pic!!!!

HH,

RR

 

[CRUSADER]

Well some kinda inside of a shell.

Made in Paris - nice find, looks late Victorian.

 

[kg6yll]

Beautiful button.....Could be mother of Pearl!!!!!? Great pic!!!!

HH,

RR

Thanks for the nice words. I've been trying to do some research online I did find this info from relicman.com "The use of the backmark, "Superfin Paris" was a somewhat elaborate attempt apparently by Scovill Manufacturing to smuggle buttons. The backs of these buttons is made entirely different from any of the other known Scovill backs, yet the faces of the Alabama, and Kentucky buttons bearing these marks match other Scovill dies exactly. So either Scovill "lent" their die to another producer or they were a direct participant in the button smuggling trade." I'm still hoping someone can find this in their book and give me more info.

KG6YLL

 

[JerV3]

Nice button,

I agree on the date. Probably 1865 to 1900 at the newest. Some where in the middle. You need to do some searching on that backmarking. There is a site that tells you alot of them. I don't have it off by hand.

Hh Jer

 

[Montana Jim]

Your button is a civilian flower button, and of course I have no idea what the coloring or material is on it. It was common for confederate troops to use flower buttons on their uniforms... and depending on where it was found may be attributed to military or battles... otherwise should probebly be considered civilian. Since found in a mining campsite there is NO way (IMO) to attribute your button to anything CW except that it's an " CW era" button.

I found some other references on-line but your best is going to be from The Relicman: http://www.relicman.com/backsuperfin.htm

The use of the backmark, "Superfin Paris" was a somewhat elaborate attempt apparently by Scovill Manufacturing to smuggle buttons. The backs of these buttons is made entirely different from any of the other known Scovill backs, yet the faces of the Alabama, and Kentucky buttons bearing these marks match other Scovill dies exactly. So either Scovill "lent" their die to another producer or they were a direct participant in the button smuggling trade.

Most information on this page is from Tice's book, Dating Buttons

 

[Thomas007]

Lovely button KG

Interesting story about the smuggling angle.

HH

Sanat

 

[Wasabi]

That is one pretty button.