For the button guys...

njnydigger · May 16, 2011

Found this flat button over the weekend. Would like the history on it (who wore it, age, battle or skirmish, etc.). I gleaned some information on it from over the web, but, any additional help nailing it down would be nice.

On the back, it says "TREBLE GILT STAND". There also appears to be a "C & L" too. And finally, what looks to be either "COL" OR "GOL" or something to that effect.

The lettering is under what could possibly be gold gilt or some type of paint that looks gold.

A hair bit smaller than a U.S. nickel and roughly the same thickness as a U.S. quarter.

Appreciate your help :thumbsup:

creskol · May 16, 2011

Don't know if this will be a help to you or not, but look at this link just for kicks.

http://tinyurl.com/3bdrnfa

TheCannonballGuy · May 16, 2011

Njnydigger wrote:
> Would like the history on it (who wore it, age, battle or skirmish, etc.).

Because your "flat button" is made of brass and has a British-terminology backmark, it most probably dates from the 1820s-to-1830s. I am truly sorry to have to disappoint you, but in Historical fact it was manufactured for the Civilian clothing market ...not for Military uniforms. The vast majority (literally 99%) of flat-buttons have been found in Civilian sites. That being said, a (very) few of this type of plain-face brass flat-button have turned up on Militia uniforms, and some have been dug from civil war sites where they were worn by "needy" Confederate soldiers whom their government could not supply with "regulation" Military buttons. But if yours was dug in NJ or NY, there's little chance it was worn by a Confederate soldier ...nor by a Union soldier.

Your flat-button's backmark is what is known as a "quality-level" backmark. The "quality" refers to the number of layers of gold gilt / silver plating, and its color. (Some of the various examples I have seen are gilt, double gilt, treble gilt, standard color, rich color, orange color, etc.

Please note, at that time in History, the term "gold plate" seems never to have been used in button backmarks. "Plate" or "Plated" in a button-backmark referred strictly to silver, and "gilt" strictly to gold.

Filling in for the abbreviations in your button's backmark, in full it was "Treble Gilt Stand[ar]d Col[our]. (Any time you see the spelling "colour" instead of "color" in a backmark, it is British-made.)

Regarding the "C&L" part of your button's backmark... it is most likely the initials of the two partnership-owners of the button manufacturing company, or possibly the owners of the clothing store that sold it. Unfortunately, there is no listing for a "C&L" button-manufacturer or dealer in the best book on button backmarks ("American Military Button Makers and Dealers; Their Backmarks & Dates" by McGuinn-&-Bazelon).

njnydigger · May 16, 2011

Cannonball, that was an awesome education :thumbsup:

Thank you so very much :notworthy:

Btw, you were NOT disappointing me at all. Quite the contrary, you were filling in the blanks for me on this terrific piece. Since I live & hunt in a metropolitan area, I kinda knew that the flat button was a bit more generic...but I did hope that MAYBE it had some battle connection :laughing7:

So, no big surprises here. Mainly wanted to thank you and the other poster for the i.d. & info.

Time is a precious commodity. When someone goes out of their way to help me or provide me information, I like to give thanks where it's due :icon_sunny: