Fancy button or ...

[Vermont treasure hunter]

I found this in a box with a lot of other random buttons (I did find a button from 1898 in the box). It is sterling, I tested it, and am still not totally sure what it is. Can you help me?

 

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[HuntinDog]

Is the other side smooth?/ Can we have a picture?
and how big is it?

 

[Red-Coat]

Interesting. The large hole has a profile akin to that of a hollow ground blade. Almost as if it was the guard plate from a knife, assuming it's not large enough for a sword. Fancy dagger or letter opener? Why the other round hole though? Might that be the attachment point for a half-basket hilt?

There also seems to be a stamped mark that looks like it ends "...91". Can you read it in full or give us a better view?

 

[PetesPockets55]

How big is it? You said button so I'm guessing only 1/2" - 3/4" long?

Sure looks like a fluffy bathroom slipper to me. Maybe a button from a fancy bathrobe?
Or a clasp that is attached to a soft clutch and a dowel or catch goes through the diamond-shaped hole to hold it closed?

 

[Fossils]

It could be a decorative piece of silver from a walking cane.

 

[Vermont treasure hunter]

These should help
Size

Back

I can't read the last number in the writing but it is either 1, 6, something or something, 9, 1.

 

[Vermont treasure hunter]

It is also paper thin.

 

[smokeythecat]

I've a guess. Indian trade silver. You are in the right part of the country for that.

 

[ARC]

I've a guess. Indian trade silver. You are in the right part of the country for that.

I was about to type the same thing.

IMO... "apprentice silversmith class piece"... Or trade silver.

 

[Vermont treasure hunter]

I found this awhile ago before I new to much about this stuff and I think it was copper plated but I tried to clean it ( I really regret it but I was very inexperienced then) and the copper came off.

 

[Vermont treasure hunter]

Smokey,What dose Indian trade silver mean? I am still kinda new to this.

 

[CRUSADER]

I found this awhile ago before I new to much about this stuff and I think it was copper plated but I tried to clean it ( I really regret it but I was very inexperienced then) and the copper came off.

Now I'm really confused.

The material looks like stamped silver. I've seen gold plated silver but never copper? Sure it was copper?

Trade Silver items like this were traded with the Native Americans for skins & other goods. They would use them as decoration, sometimes in the hair.

 

[Vermont treasure hunter]

I thought it was copper but it may have been something else. Like I said, it was a I found it a while ago.

 

[Muddyhandz]

Looks like the top part (face) of an old ring. Could have been plated on brass like a two piece construction. I've found old rings that had thick layers metal plating.
The back has black marks on opposite sides where the band attached? Possibly from the colonial or fur trade era.
The design is rocker engraved which dates back at least to the early/mid 19th century or earlier.
Cool piece!

 

[tamrock]

Who can really know for sure. I can only guess it was part of a piece of jewelry or a piece that fell off some fancy iron spurs decorated with thin silver adornments.??

 

[DCMatt]

Neat little piece. I like the trade silver idea, but why the stamp? And why stamped on the front?

It looks like there may have been a pin attached to the back so it could have been a lapel pin. I'm guessing only a silversmith has the tools to make those tiny decorative marks. That still doesn't explain the stamp on the front...

 

[GoldieLocks]

I go suspect it was a center piece of a necklace?

 

[Darewsta]

In a box of buttons...my thought was that it may be some kind of “sewing tool”. The fingertip shaped design and the small holes appear to be a small device used to put the eye of a needle through the make “threading the needle” easier. Just a thought.....Cool Find!