Found Me Two Unicorns

[artyfacts]

Returning back to the very first field I researched, found, and hunted. Three George Washington inaugurals came from this field, why not four, the excitement is always there on this field and every time I think that its done it hands me a knee slapper. This field has given up some of my best old keepers. I managed two short hunts after the heavy rains. The 1739 George was very deep and in great shape but worn. I had two big scoops out of the hole and it disappeared, pinpointed it, nothing. It ended up being the deepest coin I ever recovered. I was nailing buttons, lead, tacks and smalls crawling my coil through the iron, the added moisture helped wake up the field and hopefully the dry buttons. The unicorns came in like the smallest piece of lead shot at a 7 on the Manticore, I had a pouch with about twenty of these little frustraters, what a pain to pinpoint out. The pair of buttons that are glass backed were found on two different days (my Unicorns). I thought they looked to have a metal back at first but the color was just off and that's when I realized it was an odd shade of green glass. I have dug thousands of buttons but never have I found glass backed ones, not listed in any of my books. The buttons are 12MM wide, they have a black patina like the old brass and bronze I have dug from this site. There are two holes inside the main hole of each button. They look somewhat crude as they are both misaligned, the heating process only melted the silica to a stage two melt. If anyone has any info on this type of button please update me as there is no information that I could find. I was invited to hunt with a friend on a very large field, about 600 acres. I did manage to find a hot spot that yielded the Lincolns, Indians and a Mercury along with the 1801 Draped Bust. It is the triple error variety. The fertilizer definitely bent this one over but there is enough left to see the triple zero denominator, the missing sprig, and the U. My friend pulled an 1802 Draped 30 yards away in much better shape. The larger copper item (center) was bent in a few directions took some effort to straighten it out, it is a brooch. The other thing to note is the bird band. I contacted the number on the bird band and I received a certificate of appreciation, lovely. It came from a Great Egret that was released in 2023 and landed on a dinner table shortly after.

 

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[pepperj]

Nice going on the recoveries.

 

[Oldrvrrat57]

Congratulations on another great hunt, a site to me is never hunted out!

 

[oldmxrat]

Congrats on your finds!

 

[ArfieBoy]

Great finds. Thanks for sharing and congratulations!

 

[scruggs]

Congratulations, you brought up some nice ones!

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Great finds - congrats !

 

[artyfacts]

To my metal detecting family of finders. Are these the only glass backed buttons that ever have been found? From books to online, no mention anywhere of glass backed buttons, is this a first? I have drawn a blank. Any response would be greatly appreciated. These have never been documented. Possibly a one off in the button collecting world? Definitely a knee slapper, jeez something so small. Please post or respond if you have an opinion or info. Thank you in advance. Keep hunting, it will definitely keep you young.

 

[achanceforgold]

To my metal detecting family of finders. I put this to you. Are these the only glass backed buttons that ever have been found? From books to online, no mention anywhere of glass backed buttons, is this a first? You all are in the forefront of possibilities, as I have drawn a blank. Any response would be greatly appreciated. Did I truly find two glass backed unicorns in the button collecting world that have never been documented. Possibly a one off in the button collecting world? Definitely a knee slapper, jeez something so small. Please post or respond if you have an opinion or info. Thank you in advance. Keep hunting, it will definitely keep you young.

I believe glass buttons, black, were produced during the Victorian era. You may want to search for Victorian era buttons, glass.

 

[artyfacts]

Thank you. Black buttons that were usually faceted in that time were referred to as mourning buttons (diseased). I have dug a few of these. My buttons are much older as the tavern died in the very early 1800s. The newest coin from my site is 1817 the oldest 1608.

 

[Trezurehunter]

Nice finds, I like that bird band. I always enjoy getting the certificates back so you can see where the bird was banded, and when.

 

[Hunk-a-lead]

Returning back to the very first field I researched, found, and hunted. Three George Washington inaugurals came from this field, why not four, the excitement is always there on this field and every time I think that its done it hands me a knee slapper. This field has given up some of my best old keepers. I managed two short hunts after the heavy rains. The 1739 George was very deep and in great shape but worn. I had two big scoops out of the hole and it disappeared, pinpointed it, nothing. It ended up being the deepest coin I ever recovered. I was nailing buttons, lead, tacks and smalls crawling my coil through the iron, the added moisture helped wake up the field and hopefully the dry buttons. The unicorns came in like the smallest piece of lead shot at a 7 on the Manticore, I had a pouch with about twenty of these little frustraters, what a pain to pinpoint out. The pair of buttons that are glass backed were found on two different days (my Unicorns). I thought they looked to have a metal back at first but the color was just off and that's when I realized it was an odd shade of green glass. I have dug thousands of buttons but never have I found glass backed ones, not listed in any of my books. The buttons are 12MM wide, they have a black patina like the old brass and bronze I have dug from this site. There are two holes inside the main hole of each button. They look somewhat crude as they are both misaligned, the heating process only melted the silica to a stage two melt. If anyone has any info on this type of button please update me as there is no information that I could find. I was invited to hunt with a friend on a very large field, about 600 acres. I did manage to find a hot spot that yielded the Lincolns, Indians and a Mercury along with the 1801 Draped Bust. It is the triple error variety. The fertilizer definitely bent this one over but there is enough left to see the triple zero denominator, the missing sprig, and the U. My friend pulled an 1802 Draped 30 yards away in much better shape. The larger copper item (center) was bent in a few directions took some effort to straighten it out, it is a brooch. The other thing to note is the bird band. I contacted the number on the bird band and I received a certificate of appreciation, lovely. It came from a Great Egret that was released in 2023 and landed on a dinner table shortly after.

great assortment of recoveries, way to go!

 

[artyfacts]

Nice finds, I like that bird band. I always enjoy getting the certificates back so you can see where the bird was banded, and when.

Yes that is the best part. Recovered a Hawk band a few years ago from the 1950s. I like catching the tagged fish in my area as well, you get a hat.

 

[Digger RJ]

Returning back to the very first field I researched, found, and hunted. Three George Washington inaugurals came from this field, why not four, the excitement is always there on this field and every time I think that its done it hands me a knee slapper. This field has given up some of my best old keepers. I managed two short hunts after the heavy rains. The 1739 George was very deep and in great shape but worn. I had two big scoops out of the hole and it disappeared, pinpointed it, nothing. It ended up being the deepest coin I ever recovered. I was nailing buttons, lead, tacks and smalls crawling my coil through the iron, the added moisture helped wake up the field and hopefully the dry buttons. The unicorns came in like the smallest piece of lead shot at a 7 on the Manticore, I had a pouch with about twenty of these little frustraters, what a pain to pinpoint out. The pair of buttons that are glass backed were found on two different days (my Unicorns). I thought they looked to have a metal back at first but the color was just off and that's when I realized it was an odd shade of green glass. I have dug thousands of buttons but never have I found glass backed ones, not listed in any of my books. The buttons are 12MM wide, they have a black patina like the old brass and bronze I have dug from this site. There are two holes inside the main hole of each button. They look somewhat crude as they are both misaligned, the heating process only melted the silica to a stage two melt. If anyone has any info on this type of button please update me as there is no information that I could find. I was invited to hunt with a friend on a very large field, about 600 acres. I did manage to find a hot spot that yielded the Lincolns, Indians and a Mercury along with the 1801 Draped Bust. It is the triple error variety. The fertilizer definitely bent this one over but there is enough left to see the triple zero denominator, the missing sprig, and the U. My friend pulled an 1802 Draped 30 yards away in much better shape. The larger copper item (center) was bent in a few directions took some effort to straighten it out, it is a brooch. The other thing to note is the bird band. I contacted the number on the bird band and I received a certificate of appreciation, lovely. It came from a Great Egret that was released in 2023 and landed on a dinner table shortly after.

Very Cool!!! Congrats!!!

 

[artyfacts]

Contacted the British Button Society, New Jersey Button Collectors, National Button Society. I was met with skepticism from the British Button Society. It is a small but big button to swallow in the button collecting world. NJ Button Collectors gave me a message that their passing the photos on. No response from National. I did respond back to the British Button Society. They felt it was a form of patina on brass or such, they stated that they could not help me any further and that I should look for a local historian. I explained my 50+ years in the glass field and sent a picture at 200X of the exterior glass and explained to them what they were looking at. They are now on board that this is glass, but still skeptical that it might be something other than a button. I took pictures down the loop hole and discovered how the glass back was made. It is without doubt glass. Two halves had to be molded first and then hot glassed together, not as crude as I thought. You can see the hot glass work where the two halves oozed together. The molds would indicate mass production, but when and where. With these two buttons being the only examples found so far the manufacturer must have been short lived, very old (iron looped), or maybe they lost their shirt, no buttons for you... A new category in the button world, "Glass Backed Buttons", I'm truly stoked, historic these little buttons be.