George Washington Inagural Button Albert #W1-17A Wreath & Star RRR YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Goldirocks]

George Washington Inagural Button Albert #W1-17A Wreath & Star RRR YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Went Detecting with my Son South Jersey Jim and my other Son Ryan today at the Field of Legends. The targets are getting fewer and fewer but there is still alot there to be found. We were finding buttons and I did manage another copper ring and another ring that is very old and not sure if it is silver or not. I ended up with 25 buttons. I decided to hit another spot of the other field we have been detecting and started to find some buttons. Well what happened next just about blew me away. I got a signal and dug down and pulled out a button and all I saw was long live... well I knew what the rest of it was going to say and just started to holler and scream and act like a total idiot really I was screaming to my son that I found a George Washington Inagural Button but he was to far away so I called him. I wasn't going to post this tonight because I am tired but Jim called me and told me all about the button and how rare it is and I got a new jump start These fields are so laden with great things that we are going to be spoiled for any other field that we detect. We will be saying, "Remember those fields we hit last Winter." I am overwhelmed with the good finds and I hope there is more good stuff to come. God forbid what happens when they plow these fields. Jim was finding a couple of deep Large cents and Ryan found a cut silver 3 cent piece. Who in their right mind would cut a 3 cent piece is beyone me Wow Wow Wow is all I can say!!! It has been one heck of a ride. Arty if you are reading this Ryan found your prescription Ray Bans you lost

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Diving for Pleasure and Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[JmCraz8]

Amazing piece of history, congrats!!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

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

[jewelerguy]

sweet!

 

[Goldirocks]

You know it's funny my son said the same thing to me last night. I wouldn't have ever thought of that. But I have had a chain cent in the back of my mind for a very long time. You figure with all the Coppers and early large cents there has to be a chain cent in there somewhere. That is one of the things that I have wanted for a very long time. Oh Darn, I just realized that my son may read this. I don't like to tell anyone what I want to find because I may jinx myself. Oh well. I truly believe as I say to Arty all the time, you are meant to find what you are meant to find. Some people are luckier than others sometimes There may also be a gold coin there with all of those capped bust and cut silver that have come out. I am psyched thinking about getting back out there again!!!!

 

[Goldirocks]

You are so funny Arty. That is what I love about you! I think the small animals have recovered But I haven't yet What time are you going tomorrow?? You are going tomorrow right?

 

[artyfacts]

Yes, I will be there at 9:00 AM sharp looking for your new G.W's twin, G.W. Are you going?

 

[HutSiteDigger]

wow $14,000 button... unreal

 

[Iron Patch]

yes, you'll never forget that site and those hunts! Even after it's beat to a pulp it will always be a great spot to walk around for a while, even just to think about the good ole days.... and know there's always a chance for 1 more.

 

[Iron Patch]

wow $14,000 button... unreal

Nice button, but got to be real here folks. That's like saying all the lower grade dug chain cents are worth 80k because one sold at auction for that amount. In the real world with real money no one is coming anywhere close to 14k on that. Several years back when they were quite a bit rarer I believe someone posted a nice one they had sold for 5k. If that is the case, that same button probably would only get half that in today's market. If someone can provide info. that says otherwise I'd be interested to see it. There's no question some bigtime GW buttons are in the ground but I don't see that as being one of them. Not chopped liver by any means, but still nothing that is going to cause a huge stir and a big bidding war.

 

[cntrydncr1]

Diane you should be so proud. You are a top notch digger and deserve this great find!

 

[northwoods]

Great finds and the photos came out excellent! What do you use to clean your buttons?

 

[Goldirocks]

Thanks so much everyone for your replys! Happy Hunting to you all!

 

[Goldirocks]

Thanks Deb!

 

[Goldirocks]

You are right!

 

[SouthJerseyJim]

Obviously it wouldnt sell for 14k. But I do know for a fact that ones of lesser rarity that were dug went for half of cobbs price. So 7k sounds like more a reality. Probably less than a dozen exist. And Im assuming probably more than a dozen collectors so you can bet someone would pay some good cash. But Mom wont sell so well never know.

 

[smokeythecat]

Excellent find. I've owned 3 GW inaugurals through time but have never dug one. Since I started collecting during President Johnson's administration, a lot has changed. The GW buttons (any variety) were simply unobtainable back then, a few were in museums and a couple in collections. Now there are more and more and more being found every year, thanks to the invention of the metal detector (which happeden during WWII btw). In Albert's button book, the numbers of the buttons listed as having been recovered has multiplied over time. People kept these for souvenirs for a long long time. Congrats. As far as pricing, my dad always had the best answer to that one, what you have is worth what you can sell it for on any given day-the correct price is what the buyer and the seller agree to on any particular item.

 

[Iron Patch]

Obviously it wouldnt sell for 14k. But I do know for a fact that ones of lesser rarity that were dug went for half of cobbs price. So 7k sounds like more a reality. Probably less than a dozen exist. And Im assuming probably more than a dozen collectors so you can bet someone would pay some good cash. But Mom wont sell so well never know.

I would not use that Cobb sale to value buttons. For one it's getting to be quite a few years ago, and things change, but it's something else that might be a bigger factor. What I understand is at the time of that sale there was also Colonial coins being sold, and it was the very deep pocketed coin guys that bought almost all the buttons. I guess if you can easily buy coins for 50-100k a $15,000 button to add to your collection is not a big deal. So that probably accounts for such high prices... a very historical collection and then two groups of buyers battling it out. Fast forward to today when more have been found, the one on this thread in decent but not fantastic condition, and just the regular GW buyers, the biggest who probably already have an example, it's a tough sell! I think even 7k is extremely optimistic (heck I think 3k is) but it doesn't matter anyway since it's a keeper. I mostly wrote this reply to mention about the circumstances of the sale because I found it very interesting when I was told, but canconfirm there's WAY more high end buyers for coins who are eager to spend than there is for buttons. You really need an over the top killer button find to get the high end relic guys excited.

 

[smokeythecat]

BTW - I would NOT clean it if I were you.

 

[sfenner]

Those are some awesome finds!

 

[fishstick]

NOT many have ever dug one so it's PRICELESS in my eyes!!!!!!!!! BANNER GOLDI BANNER..........CONGRATS.. HH

 

[stewielouie]

Great button congrats!!