🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Help with a not so common button

ticndig

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Apr 17, 2009
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I found this button in the woods of central Virginia where I've been finding many flat buttons. here's what I know about it so far. It has a back mark of Phil Armitage .
The front has the letters '' REG'' at the bottom. the eagle is sitting on a federal shield , the shield is to the left and eagle is looking to the right.
the button is one piece convex it is pretty toasty on front and like new on the back . it is as clean at it's going to get . If you know this button please advise , I'm thinking it's pretty uncommon and sure it's pre civil war.
DSCN2518.JPG
DSCN2520.JPG
 

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ticndig

ticndig

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Thanks for looking Matt , the link says 404 not found. I was thinking Rev or war of 1812 but can't locate a pic of this button.
 

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DCMatt

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Here's a bit more info:

The best sources of documentation and dating for Regular Army devices are the uniform regulations and ordnance regulations; these are supplemented by pertinent records in the National Archives, notably the letter files of the Purveyor of Public Supplies and of the Commissary General of Purchases. The letter files are voluminous, but in some cases badly mixed and in many cases incomplete. We have conjectured a reason for this incompleteness. The two prime contractors for military insignia during the period 1812-1821 were George Armitage and William Crumpton, both of whom had their small factories in Philadelphia within a mile of the office of Callendar Irvine, Commissary General of Purchases. The paucity of written transactions in the records in the National Archives between these gentlemen and Irvine tends to bear out our assumption that most of their dealings were conducted verbally in Irvine's office. This would account for the lack of sketches and drawings of cap plates and belt plates in files of the National Archives. In cases where no specific documentary evidence is available, dating has been based on a careful evaluation of design development and comparison with biographical specimens that can be more fairly dated through knowledge of the former owner's career. Excavated insignia from datable sites have also reduced the problem considerably.
 

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ticndig

ticndig

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I got the link to work , it's the exact button . you'd think it would be easier to find on the net.
 

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DCMatt

Gold Member
Oct 12, 2006
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Herndon Virginia
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Thanks for looking Matt , the link says 404 not found. I was thinking Rev or war of 1812 but can't locate a pic of this button.
Hmmm... That's odd that the link doesn't work.

I found the page using this criteria in Google:

"george armitage" shield eagle button
 

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grasshopper

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Aug 13, 2007
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There is a similar one listed here for sale:

 

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ticndig

ticndig

Silver Member
Apr 17, 2009
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Cumberland Va
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There is a similar one listed here for sale:

Hey thanks for posting that , lots of nice buttons on that site.
 

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