Found this SC State Button, Any help with whether it is Civil War??

[Tenspeed]

I was hunting a yard today that I have hunted many times and found this button about 8" deep. When I cleaned it some I realized it had the palm tree and SC on it.

My search turned up a civil war button just like it except that the civil war button doesn't have the S and C on either side of the palm tree. My son pointed out that it has 3 leaves on each side rather than the two on the civil war example I found.

The button is 22 mm in diameter. Backmark is hard to read but says Horst Mann and Allien, New York

Is it real or a later repro?

Thanks for the help!!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[Curious The George]

Tice's book, Uniform Buttons of the United States...Has your button in it. Tice #SC258A1. Albert's SC 14. Calls it a South Carolina Militia Button. Doesn't date it.

 

[JimDon]

Sweet find Hardy. One for next weeks board for sure.

 

[Gunrunner61]

A cool find Hardy, I grew up in S.C. Oconee County.....And I'm still waiting on my first S.C. Button
Congrats on a very COOL find!.................HH

 

[mangum]

Sweet button Hardy!

 

[CC Hunter]

Your find is the real deal, and indeed an American Civil War period South Carolina state seal button. The time period, as I recall from memory (have not checked the reference books), for that style with letters S C on either side of the palmetto tree, is I believe late 1850's-to mid 1860's.

The two-piece South Carolina buttons without S C on the design face, are earlier, and generally 1840's-1850's. After the American Civil War, the style of South Carolina buttons changed, to a higher convex dome, and deeper relief on the details on two-piece buttons, as well as there being the three-piece "staff style" buttons with a little rim almost like a pie plate edge around the outside. The backmark of Hortstmann and Allien is right as well, for the correct time frame of your button. South Carolina had a large number of state militia forces throughout the mid-1800's. Buttons were manufactured by different contract suppliers, and often slight design variations are noted, such as number of leaves on the palmetto tree, shape of the leaves (The Eyland & Hayden Charleston backmarked buttons have very unique bushy fan shaped palm fronds, rather than the leaf shapes), as well as at least one button variety with a misspelling of the state motto.

Your button is good and a desirable find.

CC Hunter

 

[ShovelNose]

Beautiful button. Its the yard that deeps on giving. Were you using 2 tone?

 

[jewelerguy]

that's an awesome find. congrats!

 

[Tenspeed]

Thanks for the help identifying the button everyone. I knew this was the place to come for information. I can't believe I found a Civil War button in a yard of a house in downtown Rock Hill, SC. This is the same yard and property I found the two WWI 371st Regiment medallions made by the French Govt. as well as my first Barber quarter, a Barber dime, 6 Mercury dimes and about 40 wheat pennies (including a key date 1910S).

I was using TTF on my ETrac and it came up as a real iffy penny signal at ten inches deep.

 

[CMDiamonddawg]

nice hunt & digs .You just don't see those SC State Militia buttons 's pop up too often wish those could be found in NJ . I want one

 

[fishstick]

WTG on your button!! Looks to be in great shape. Check out Buckleboy's cleanin methods, I'm sure she will be even prettier. CONGRATS.. HH

 

[HomeGuardDan]

The button with that backmark is not only just good, but it is considered to actually have been produced by Steele & Johnson around 1860. Meaning unlike many buttons that could very well never have seen war time use (as many state seals are actually pre civil war) this one was produced just before the war.

Nice find.

Dan

 

[Don in SJ]

Tice's "Dating Buttons" book does show that exact backmark with the same line designs with dates of 1860-65.

 

[JimDon]

Wow it seems to be getting better. I cannot believe you pulled CW and WWI relics from this site

 

[matt092079]

Nice state button! I found 2 state buttons just in the nick of time for last years count. Hope you(and I) find a bunch more for 2013!

 

[RiverRat3]

Very nice find!

 

[Digs68]

Awesome find! I wish I could find such things here in Missouri, but they're few & far between.

 

[oldsalty19]

 

[birdman]

Very nice SC button! I used to live in Rock Hill but never hunted there. I did go down to Columbia a couple of times with a Hunter from York and we found a few relics there.

 

[koho99]

Sweet find, I found three Towers Wire Fastened buttons today and thought I was the heat, lol. Awesome relic, keep diggin!!!!