Found US Navy Button Today. Age, anyone?

[Brendan M.]

Hello and Happy Fourth of July!

I hit the old park again today, and I suppose it was only appropriate that I'd go home with some form of Americana: I dug this old gilt US Navy button (two-piece, but back is gone). I'm pretty sure it's pre-WWII (that's when the eagle's head started facing to its right, yes?). Can anyone venture a guess as to a rough date? Maybe CW era?

Thanks!
B

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

How to Research for Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting From Lead Generation to Vetting - Grab it through Amazon!

[treasurefiend]

Great find, but I have no idea on the age

 

[Rattler0216]

U said the Eagle faces to its right, on ur button the eagle faces to it's left and to ur right.
Don't know if u just worded it wrong.

Happy 4th and HH

 

[Brendan M.]

U said the Eagle faces to its right, on ur button the eagle faces to it's left and to ur right.
Don't know if u just worded it wrong.

Happy 4th and HH

Right. What I said was that after 1941, I read the eagle faces to its right. The button I found has the eagle facing its left, so that's how I deduced it was made before 1941...

Yikes. My head hurts.

Cheers,
B

 

[Merf]

That is a good looking button

 

[brnn53]

Your button is very similar to Albert's NA 111 and Tice's NA 224 which if it is, then it is a very rare button made between 1835-1855. Too bad the back is missing as we could date it exactly but none the less, a very nice find!
Mike

 

[allen]

very neat button...

 

[Joe G]

Hey Mr B...

Yes, that's pre-WWII but here's a pic of a CW Navy (rare) button... If the upper fluke of the anchor is behind the eagles left wing, it's CW. Yours is in front of the left wing... anyway, that's what I read. Nice find though! Oh, why the "London" backmark? Two schools of thought...
A) The manufacturer used "London" to signify British quality or
B) It was made in England and purchased by the confederacy (this button was found in Virginia)

 

[Brendan M.]

Hey Mr B...

Yes, that's pre-WWII but here's a pic of a CW Navy (rare) button... If the upper fluke of the anchor is behind the eagles left wing, it's CW. Yours is in front of the left wing... anyway, that's what I read. Nice find though! Oh, why the "London" backmark? Two schools of thought...
A) The manufacturer used "London" to signify British quality or
B) It was made in England and purchased by the confederacy (this button was found in Virginia)

Thanks for the info. I'd still bet it's close to CW period though, just judging by the look of it. Either way I'm real pleased -- I hadn't found one of those nice military coat buttons yet, so it was sweet to "get off the schneid" as they say, and NOT go home empty-handed!

As for your London question, I'm going to go with option 2 -- it was made in London and sold to the US. However, I don't think the button was Confederate as you stated. The eagle leads me to believe it's Union, but of course I could be wrong....

Talk to you soon bud!

Cheers and HH,
B

 

[dgaughan]

however old brendan it is a sweet find congrats