Goood e-Trac, Goood e-Trac, Button Hoard!

BioProfessor · Mar 13, 2009

I have been looking for 19th century uniform buttons for a couple of years but just couldn't find them. And then there was yesterday!!!

Got permission to hunt a field just north of Guyton, GA. Sherman's army assembled about 6 miles north for his final assault of Savannah, GA. About 15,000 troops marched through Guyton over a 10 day period. Most of the area is closed to MDing by the State but there are still a few farm fields by the RR tracks that can be hunted. This field has probably been hunted by hundreds of people over the years. Didn't think there would be much there but I had no other place to go. Kinda glad I went.

This is NOT an ad for the e-Trac by holy crap. 3 hours in the field and I pulled 4 South Carolina Palmetto buttons (may be CW or may be 1870 Militia) and a Standing Liberty Quarter all at about 8-10". Now I'm all for depth and sensitivity but I dug about 40 targets in the field and only the aluminum slaw was 4" or less. This machine may kill me.

Daryl

PBK · Mar 14, 2009

Great buttons! :thumbsup:

Closely comparing the backmarks to illustrations both in Tice's Dating Buttons and McGuinn & Bazelon's backmarks book, I believe that this is indeed a postwar mark, c. 1880's.

In any case, congratulations on another mighty fine find, Professor!

nc-joe · Mar 14, 2009

I can relate BioProf I found 4 NC State Seal Staff Officer Buttons (3 in one hole and the other about 10 feet away) I was on cloud nine... then found the backmark was not used until 1870. They are still state militia buttons and they are very cool, just don't have the "history" of the war attached. They are still great looking buttons!