Early Navy Button Circa 1812: New Photos Added!

West Jersey Detecting

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I got out for a few hours today, and one of my first targets sounded just like an Indian Head, but this convex, one piece button is no Indian! It is an early US Navy button, made by George Armitage, which dates it 1799-1826. I am afraid to clean it any more than I already have...The remaining gilt is coming loose, showing the green patina underneath. Check out the back mark!!!

065a.webp066a.webp

Any help is appreciated on a positive ID. Can someone look this one up in the Albert's book? It is not listed in Tice's.

UPDATE: THANKS TO DON FOR THE ID!!!

I also found a few other buttons and a watch key with a 90 degree swiveling bend.
071.webp

073.webp072.webp
 

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Re: Early Navy or Marine Button...Albert's Help Please!

AWESOME Neil!!! That's a beauty! Congrats............Hogge :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:
 

Re: Early Navy or Marine Button...Albert's Help Please!

Decent Naval button, that backmark matches the one in Tice's book where he has a typo ::) says circa 1912, but of course it is 1812. :wink:

Looks similar to NA 38, just the 1812 era backmark......

Don
 

Re: Early Navy or Marine Button...Albert's Help Please!

great looking button...wouldn't clean it any further either...congrats
 

Re: Early Navy or Marine Button...Albert's Help Please!

That thing is sweeeeeet! :icon_thumright:
 

Re: Early Navy or Marine Button...Albert's Help Please!

nice button
 

Re: Early Navy or Marine Button...Albert's Help Please!

neil that is a sweet looking button! congrats
 

Re: Early Navy or Marine Button...Albert's Help Please!

Eagle, Stars, Anchor... works for me! :thumbsup:
 

Re: Early Navy Button...Albert's Help Please!

Ya gotta love those early "chicken leg" eagles! ;D
This one has to be a rare one!
Congrats!
 

Re: Early Navy Button...Albert's Help Please!

That's a good looking button, and a TOP NOTCH cleaning job. I too would leave it as it is at this point.


Great recovery! Don in SJ nailed the ID.



Best Wishes,

Buckles
 

Re: Early Navy Button...Albert's Help Please!

THOSE,
are the relics I live for!

Congratulations on a fine piece of history!
 

Re: Early Navy or Marine Button...Albert's Help Please!

Don in SJ said:
Decent Naval button, that backmark matches the one in Tice's book where he has a typo ::) says circa 1912, but of course it is 1812. :wink:

Looks similar to NA 38, just the 1812 era backmark......

Don


Don nailed it. It is NA 38 in Alberts book, page 92.
 

Re: Early Navy Button...Albert's Help Please!

Great looking button. :icon_thumright:
 

Sweet find!!!!!!!!!!

Neil in West Jersey said:
I got out for a few hours today, and one of my first targets sounded just like an Indian Head, but this convex, one piece button is no Indian! It is an early US military button, made by George Armitage, which dates it 1799-1826. I am afraid to clean it any more than I already have...The remaining gilt is coming loose, showing the green patina underneath. Check out the back mark!!!





Any help is appreciated on a positive ID. Can someone look this one up in the Albert's book? It is not listed in Tice's.
 

Thanks for the ID Don, and thanks for all of your replies.

To date, I have found more than 200 buttons at the site. Almost all are plain flat buttons, and nearly all are like burnt toast from hundreds of years of fertilizers and cow urine. The few good buttons I have found there, however, are all gems. This is the same field/woods that I found the British Royal Regiment of Artillery buttons last year, as well as a British Customs Officer button and an early US Marines button.

It always raises a question of why all of these buttons dating from around the 1780's to the 1830's are found there. I have theories that this was once a busy thoroughfare for travelers.

Thanks again for looking!

Neil
 

Neil in West Jersey said:
Thanks for the ID Don, and thanks for all of your replies.

To date, I have found more than 200 buttons at the site. Almost all are plain flat buttons, and nearly all are like burnt toast from hundreds of years of fertilizers and cow urine. The few good buttons I have found there, however, are all gems. This is the same field/woods that I found the British Royal Regiment of Artillery buttons last year, as well as a British Customs Officer button and an early US Marines button.

It always raises a question of why all of these buttons dating from around the 1780's to the 1830's are found there. I have theories that this was once a busy thoroughfare for travelers.

Thanks again for looking!

Neil


It's not uncommon for our old home sites to give up a high number of buttons. Just a combination of losing them, throwing them away, and it happening over many years.
 

Congrats on the awesome button and finds !

TommNJ
 

Hey, sweet button Neil :icon_thumleft: I've found similar but none with such a great looking eagle :headbang: :headbang: The cleaning job was top notch as BB pointed out! well done
 

I just noticed a misspelling...two "T"s; "BESTT QUALITY"

Funny how I did not notice that yesterday!
 

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