Eagle and wreath button 1812?

[jhenry]

Found this at old homestead in Ohio, along with about 30 flat buttons.
Size of a nickle, plain front side.
Back has eagle at top, wreath around edge.
Any help Id'ing would be appreciated.
Also, anyone know of a good reference book about 1800 era buttons that I could get?
Thanks for looking!

 

[BuckleBoy]

Your button is a civilian button. Here's some cleaning information for the future:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,165857.0.html

The best resource on buttons is Tice.

 

[vayank54]

Your button is a civilian button. Here's some cleaning information for the future:

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,165857.0.html

The best resource on buttons is Tice.

YEP!!!!

 

[BioProfessor]

Just so you know, it is a common button and a common backmark. Condition is usually crappy. At least down here on the coast.

Daryl

 

[johnnyi]

Just so you know, it is a common button and a common backmark. Condition is usually crappy. At least down here on the coast.

Daryl

Common?, yes, common compared to some others, but looking through roughly five hundred buttons of my own from the before the 1850's I've only found several of these, while the vast majority of truly "common" buttons of the period are "gilt", "best", "standard", "orange coulour', etc. etc. Your button might be considered common the way a standard CW eagle button is common, but it is none the less interesting. As we learned here on the board some time ago, these buttons with eagle and wreath motifs on the back were of foreign manufacture, and included as a seeling point on the buttons to appeal to our patriotism. That kind of kicks it up to the cool category. (bioproff, I live on the coast up here, and I agree, "condition usually is crappy" )

 

[BioProfessor]

I was saying common in the sense that you don't want to beat yourself up because it is not in great condition. Maybe said the other way is better. It is not a rare button.

Sorry for any confusion.

Daryl

 

[johnnyi]

I was saying common in the sense that you don't want to beat yourself up because it is not in great condition. Maybe said the other way is better. It is not a rare button.

Sorry for any confusion.

Daryl

Ha! not to worry! After I read your post I was feeling bad that I hadn't found far more of them.

 

[BioProfessor]

It's all about the area I guess. Around Savannah, Charleston, and the low country, we have buttons from over 100 years while the British burned cites like Savannah more than once. The Laurel leaves/wreath with Eagle and other things are found in most places so they were scattered around a lot. So come on down and hunt here for flat buttons. We find 'em but they if it wasn't for the stuff on the back, they wouldn't be interesting at all.

Here's the front of an average wreath and eagle button.

Daryl

 

[Woodland Detectors]

It's all about the area I guess. Around Savannah, Charleston, and the low country, we have buttons from over 100 years while the British burned cites like Savannah more than once. The Laurel leaves/wreath with Eagle and other things are found in most places so they were scattered around a lot. So come on down and hunt here for flat buttons. We find 'em but they if it wasn't for the stuff on the back, they wouldn't be interesting at all.

Here's the front of an average wreath and eagle button.

Daryl

I like the Jello box behind it!

 

[BioProfessor]

Can't always use a coin for scale.

Daryl