Help ID Revolutionary War Button

[squarenuts711]

Need help to identify and authenticate this button.
Believed to be british military button of the revolutionary war period.
Measures about 15/16" wide and .2 ounces.
Pewter or lead....not sure.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Your button is classified in the Albert button-book as a "Loyalists Corps" button. Loyalists were British colonists in America who remained loyal to the British Government during the American Revolution.

Your button's front is shown as button LC-1 in the Albert button book, which contains additional info about the Loyalists Corps and your button.

We need to see a photo of your button's back, because the LC-1 button has been reproduced in the modern era. The Albert book lists the Repro as button LC-1R snd says it is a "Recasting in pewter from an Original button." The figure 7 is impressed on the button's back, wedge shank, drilled hole.

 

[CRUSADER]

Your button is classified in the Albert button-book as a "Loyalists Corps" button. Loyalists were British colonists in America who remained loyal to the British Government during the American Revolution.

Your button's front is shown as button LC-1 in the Albert button book, which contains additional info about the Loyalists Corps and your button.

We need to see a photo of your button's back, because the LC-1 button has been reproduced in the modern era. The Albert book lists the Repro as button LC-1R snd says it is a "Recasting in pewter from an Original button." The figure 7 is impressed on the button's back, wedge shank, drilled hole.

to me this screams repro

 

[CC Hunter]

Most assuredly a modern reproduction of a British Rev War button!

The original military pewter buttons of the era had either iron loop shanks, or cast pewter loop shanks. Never seen a drilled shank on any Colonial pewter buttons, military or civilian. The casting quality is really poor as well, with flow seam flaws on the face. We rarely if ever see these types of flaws in original period buttons.

CC Hunter

 

[Iron Patch]

Yep, too bad. I have dug at least 40 legit ones, all with iron loop shanks. (should say had iron loop shanks as they are rare to be intact here when dug from a farm field)

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Even though Squarenuts711's repro button doesn't have the impressed number 7 in its back, described on the Bicentennial reproductions in the Albert button-book, it does have a drilled hole for sewing onto the clothing. None of the Original ones had a drilled hole.

Squarenuts711, just in case you don't already know, these reproduction Loyalist Corps buttons are manufactured for use by Rev War battle re-enactors. It's simpler and cheaper for manufacturers to make a solid-cast copy of an Original button and drill a hole in the cast shank, than to also have to make a large quantity of wire loops and individially solder the loop onto each button's back.

 

[Broken knee]

Did you dig it ? Find it in a drawer ? Please tell the story? HH
BK

 

[CC Hunter]

Here are two examples of the correct shanks on original Revolutionary War pewter buttons.

First is the style most commonly seen with Rev War British and Loyalist buttons, featuring a steel wire (rusty iron) shank that is integrally cast into the button. This particular example is on a 3rd Foot Guards button.

Second is the style usually seen with most Continental American as well as civilian pewter buttons of the period, featuring a rounded wire-shaped loop, cast as one piece pewter along with the body of the button. This particular example is a USA entwined Continental button.

CC Hunter