Hey button guys

[diggin jimmy hoffa]

I'm not much into militaria or Civil War relics as there isn't all that much here in Northern Indiana, but I came across this button on a site that I have been detecting that has had 2 different homesteads on it.

The stuff that I have found there dates anywhere from a 1865 Indian Head to modern clad and trash, so my question is, what time period is this button that I found?

Thanks in advance
DJH

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

It is definitely a US army Infantry enlisted-man's button. The exact design on your button's face dates from 1854 into the mid-1870s.

As you probably already know, the backmark/maker's-mark on a button can help to "narrow down" its time-range. But your button has a blank back, which usually means bad news for "narrow" time-dating. However, I can tell you from decades of civil war relic digging and dealing in Virginia, I've seen many-many dug eagle-buttons which have the exact "style" of blank back that your button has. So I feel pretty certain that your button was manufactured during the civil war era, rather than 1866-1875.

 

[diggin jimmy hoffa]

It is definitely a US army Infantry enlisted-man's button. The exact design on your button's face dates from 1854 into the mid-1870s.

As you probably already know, the backmark/maker's-mark on a button can help to "narrow down" its time-range. But your button has a blank back, which usually means bad news for "narrow" time-dating. However, I can tell you from decades of civil war relic digging and dealing in Virginia, I've seen many-many dug eagle-buttons which have the exact "style" of blank back that your button has. So I feel pretty certain that your button was manufactured during the civil war era, rather than 1866-1875.

Thank you for the information.

I thought it was, but wanted to be 100% certain before saying so.

DJH

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I concur with CannonballGuys opinion.