Determining the age of a U.S. Navy Button

[invent4hir]

Before I donate the button shown below to the local historical society I'd like your help to determine it's age. It is about 7/8" in diameter and is post-May 14, 1941, as that is when the Navy ordered that the head of the eagle face its right side. On the back "Superior Quality" appears. Does anyone know its age? If not, does this type of button still have "Superior Quality" on the back? If not, what year did that stop appearing? Thanks, invent4hir.

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

These buttons were made by many different companies with many different backmarks. Posting a pic of the back should help.

 

[63cagedfalcon]

Great source of info

http://www.relicman.com/Research-Center.html

 

[invent4hir]

Bigcypresshunter, thanks, will post a pic of the back this evening. Please note it is in terrible condition. I had to use a 4x magnifying glass to read what letters were visible.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

As Bigcypresshunter already suggested... a pic of the back would assist us to give you a date range of manufacture.

I just found this reference on the website 'The US Militaria Forum'

"The design of US Navy Officer’s buttons prior to WWII, in use from 1852 until 1941, was an eagle facing left standing on a horizontal anchor. On May 14, 1941 the Navy ordered that the head of the eagle face its right side. “The shift of the eagle's aspect to right-facing from left-facing is logical from the perspective of heraldic tradition, since the right side is the honor side of the shield and the left side indicates dishonor or illegitimacy. Of the buttons in the picture, those on the left are Civil War-era, those on the right are from a WWII US Navy uniform."

Dave

 

[invent4hir]

Great source of info

Ridgeway Civil War Reference Library

63cagedfalcon, thanks for the tip. When I clicked on the link it takes me to "Ridgeway Civil War Research Center". While it has lots of good info about the CW, the button I'm asking about was manufactured post-May 14, 1941.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Bigcypresshunter, thanks, will post a pic of the back this evening. Please note it is in terrible condition. I had to use a 4x magnifying glass to read what letters were visible.

We usually want to see the back and I did request it and it is SOP but in this case it may not help if there is no manufacturers marking. But you never know. Someone may see something that you didn't or maybe dots and stars will have some meaning.. Your button looks kinda funky to me with the bent anchor. And the background field lines are not straight. Who knows maybe we see a clue on the back.

 

[invent4hir]

All, please see photos of the back. Not sure they help much. Re-examined again to see if I could find a maker's mark but none was evident; just enough letters of "Superior Quality" to make out the phrase. Does the way the eye is made help date it??

Dave, thanks for passing along the 'The US Militaria Forum' tip. I saw that before posting to TNet and where I learned about the eagle's head changing directions. I looked at some other websites too - but came up empty handed (so far).

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

It may just be my eyes playing tricks on me, but there looks to be a makers mark on the back of your button.
If you were to take a fine brass wire brush to it, you might bring out more of the detail.

Dave

 

[invent4hir]

Dave, thanks for the look. The area you circled is the "ALITY" of Quality. Superior appears on the opposite side of the shank.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Dave, thanks for the look. The area you circled is the "ALITY" of Quality. Superior appears on the opposite side of the shank.

Sometimes there is no manufacturers mark. Sometimes there is no marking at all. In this case the button is not superior quality but I guess they thought it would help to stamp it on the backside. I dont know when button companies stopped using this generic designation. CannonBallGuy is a very knowledgeable person. He may know. And there are a few others here that may know.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/155169-need-eagle-button-explaination.html

 

[invent4hir]

Bigcypresshunter, thanks for taking another look. Hopefully CannonBallGuy or one of the others chimes in.