Help Identify this button....

[MinelabSwinger]

Found this button at a foundation site dating to the 1790-1810 range. It could be an older site I am just guessing at the age....The coins found here are all from 1774-1837

 

[Don in SJ]

This old post of mine has a similar style to this button in appearance.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,153499.0.html

Don

 

[johnnyi]

What I'm trying to point out is the the style and placement of the arrows, coupled with the beads, (do we agree that they are beads?), coupled with the apparent location where it was found, and of course the period. The specific placement of arrows is regarded universally as the "friendship" symbol, and coupled with beads, seems to me anyway too farfetched a "design" in itself, and even more unlikely as an element of arms or crest, but makes perfect sense when viewed in the light of Indian-european relationships of a turbulent period.

Unlike Canada and the U.K., livery buttons are very rarely found in the north eastern United States. Out of well over a thousand colonial and federal buttons I've personally dug here, not one has been livery, yet many other far rarer varieties than livery have consistently surfaced. The northeast is not at all like the U.K. or Canada in this respect.

What constitutes "livery" other than the basic button's manufactured style coupled with what ever silvering and design? Virtually nothing, as manufactured style pertains to most livery or non-livery buttons from a certain era. Look at my monicker for instance. Had we not known of Washington or the inauguration, this button could very easily have fit this category of "livery" in its style.

The beads and the arrows together are I believe what distinguishes this button. Style is almost irrelevant exxcept to determine who manufactured it, as is a 1780's to 90's timeframe. (reasons already given in previous post) Do we have a concensus that those are beads?

P.S. Don, I just saw your "pineapple button". Man, it's too bad that row of diamonds can't help to identify the maker. Again though, I think it shows that a certain button manufacturer may have made the arrows and beads button which could further pin down a date, but beyond that I don't know. It would seem logical that in rare occasions when buttons for specific uses were neeeded, such work would be farmed out to certain button makers, not unlike how Tiffany and Co. had work farmed out to them to produce certain medals and decorations for the military, despite their main business being to make more generic objects of jewelry.

 

[Iron Patch]

What I'm trying to point out is the the style and placement of the arrows, coupled with the beads, (do we agree that they are beads?), coupled with the apparent location where it was found, and of course the period. The specific placement of arrows is regarded universally as the "friendship" symbol, and coupled with beads, seems to me anyway too farfetched a "design" in itself, and even more unlikely as an element of arms or crest, but makes perfect sense when viewed in the light of Indian-european relationships of a turbulent period.

Unlike Canada and the U.K., livery buttons are very rarely found in the north eastern United States. Out of well over a thousand colonial and federal buttons I've personally dug here, not one has been livery, yet many other far rarer varieties than livery have consistently surfaced. The northeast is not at all like the U.K. or Canada in this respect.

What constitutes "livery" other than the basic button's manufactured style coupled with what ever silvering and design? Virtually nothing, as manufactured style pertains to most livery or non-livery buttons from a certain era. Look at my monicker for instance. Had we not known of Washington or the inauguration, this button could very easily have fit this category of "livery" in its style.

The beads and the arrows to gather are I believe what distinguishes this button. Style is irrelevant, as is a 1780's to 90's timeframe (reasons already given in previous post) Do we have a concensus that those are beads?

Believe it or not very few livery buttons turn up here. Maybe a few for every thousand buttons dug. It makes absolutely no sense but that's how it is.

 

[MinelabSwinger]

I am going to contact my friend who found this button today. I will see if I can get some better photos of both front and back. At the site where this was found.... We both found over 40 large (larger than a half dollar) buttons. I would say we found together over 300 buttons on this site. Keep in mind we only hit it for 3 or 4 days....I will be going back in a few weeks after the harvest. I will update this evening with new photos. Thanks for the continued interest in identifying this button.


MLS!

 

[burglarifyoulike]

sorry, can't help with ID, but whatever it is, it's beautiful! welcome to the forum, i know you'll have a lot of fun here!

 

[MinelabSwinger]

Here are some new pics of the button. Also be sure to check my other "what is it post".... I am posting a seal or something that was found within 2 feet of this button. Thanks again for all of your kind effort!

 

[CRUSADER]

Here are some new pics of the button. Also be sure to check my other "what is it post".... I am posting a seal or something that was found within 2 feet of this button. Thanks again for all of your kind effort!

The reverse looks to fit the 1780s timeframe

 

[scratcher]

The first thing I thought after seeing the photos was Native American friendship button, but Johnni beat me to it. I have a trigger guard from a chief grade trade gun with the crossed arrows posted earlier this year. Of course could be something else, but a distinct posibility given the location of the find...