Incredible One Piece Infantry Button

[OutdoorAdv]

I got out for a few hours after work yesterday to do a bit of sifting and detecting. I opened a pit section and it was pretty dead. A single pewter button turned up which wasnt much for a couple hours of moving dirt. So I took a break and went off to dig nails. I got a tone that was on the verge of detection with some iron sounds, in an area I have POUNDED for over a year. Its the type of signal that I have gotten to know well with my Deus... they are hard to hear, but when I find one it's usually something non-ferrous and very deep.

I removed 3 nails from the hole and there was still something deeper. I pulled the loose dirt from about 9" deep out with my glove and I saw half of a beautiful deep green object. At first I thought it was going to be another oval cufflink, but when I pulled it out of the dirt and saw the eagle I couldn't stop smiling.

Here it is right after it came out!



I typically find 2-piece Civil War Era military buttons. Those are always awesome to find, but I've wanted an earlier one piece brass military button for years. I see you guys post them and I drool over them. So I couldn't have been happier with this button, and I couldn't ask for one in better condition.

I looked in my Albert button book and it doesn't list this "Superb Imperial Stand*" as a backmark. If anyone can tell me just what variety this is, that would be AWESOME! It is a raised shield and it has a raised I... it also looks like the slanted shield type. I cant seem to ID it, but I would guess its 1820-1830 maybe?



The rest of the finds were meager. A small cuff sized brass flat button, a pewter button and a broken pewter button, then the usual pipe frags and pottery fragments. If it wasnt for the Infantry button, this is the type of hunt I don't bother with a post... but I still cant get over that button and keep staring at it.



Here are some better high-res button pictures in case the first 5 pictures weren't enough



Thanks for looking and Happy Hunting everyone.

 

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[Steve in PA]

Guys, I found a pic of my "not so nice" one piece eagle I. The front is not so nice, but the backmark is AWESOME!!

 

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[jwarner51]

Brad I found a pic of my better one, along with some other one piece military. You can see mine still has a good bit of silver and a nice green patina. Unfortunately, it sits about 70 miles from where I sit, so no info on the backmark.

Jealous!! Lol killer buttons

 

[relic lover]

Guys, I found a pic of my "not so nice" one piece eagle I. The front is not so nice, but the backmark is AWESOME!!

How nice it is depends on whether you dug it before or after the silvered one LOL either way this button and my button just reinforces the fact that the original posters button is in truly incredible condition such a nice even patina. I would definitely be staring at it a lot. And then putting it on the nightstand before bed and waking up in the morning and staring at it while I drink my coffee for about 2 weeks before putting it into a display, again congratulations

 

[Ahab8]

How nice it is depends on whether you dug it before or after the silvered one LOL either way this button and my button just reinforces the fact that the original posters button is in truly incredible condition such a nice even patina. I would definitely be staring at it a lot. And then putting it on the nightstand before bed and waking up in the morning and staring at it while I drink my coffee for about 2 weeks before putting it into a display, again congratulations

And I thought I was the only one that slept with my best finds lol

 

[relic lover]

Awesome button man! I think I'd probably leave that one as is too and hold off indefinitely on cleaning. I don't think the front can get any better, however the back could probably improve with Aluminium Jelly. Buckleboy has a great button cleaning post in the preservation section. On the front of yours, between the head, wing and shield the gilt that is left looks raised above. So jelly would not work there and would make it look worse. Had the crud been on top of the gilt, then Jelly would make it look even better.

Sick button tho man!

I think your assessment Regarding cleaning the button is spot-on I am definitely not going to try anything more the only thing that bothers me is you can't really see the olive branches or the Eagles Eye. But it definitely has plenty of character the way it is which is how I'm going to leave it it's already back in the display. Thanks for the good advice on not cleaning it that's the way I was leaning anyway. When I first dug it a lot of people were saying that it would be loaded with Gilt and should be cleaned with some aluminum jelly. But as you well know a button like this is a real prize and I did not want to ruin it.

 

[relic lover]

And I thought I was the only one that slept with my best finds lol

Nope you need to be able to open up one eye in the middle of the night see it there on the nightstand and realize it was not a dream

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Thanks a ton everyone for all the info and button pictures. Every now and then I like to reread some of my posts and remember the hunt and the finds again. Seeing you guys' one piece infantry buttons will make it even better to relive.

I have the button leaning up against a doll arm and slate pencil! My display for this site is beyond cluttered, so this winter when I reorganize it, I'll get it a better spot in there. This display is in my home office so I get to enjoy it all day... even better than leaving it on my nightstand.



Thanks again everyone.

 

[Steve in PA]

How nice it is depends on whether you dug it before or after the silvered one LOL either way this button and my button just reinforces the fact that the original posters button is in truly incredible condition such a nice even patina. I would definitely be staring at it a lot. And then putting it on the nightstand before bed and waking up in the morning and staring at it while I drink my coffee for about 2 weeks before putting it into a display, again congratulations

I found the silvered one first. I would love to find more, but they don't turn up too often.

And when I find a nice relic or coin, I carry it around for several days, showing it to people who couldn't care less, then I put it through the washer and the dryer and curse myself for being so stupid

 

[against the wind]

Congratulations on a rare button.
Must be rare since no one can I.D. it.
On Tnet,, that is rare

 

[metalev4]

Beautiful button Brad, one of my favorite military buttons. You couldn't ask for better condition. When I lived on the Peninsula I got permission to hunt a small garden plot, I found 20 of those 1 piece eagle buttons, but it had been fertilized so heavily that the eagles were nearly impossible to make out. I ended up with a few decent ones, but like someone else said, they wore easily. That's one of the better examples I have seen. Nice work picking stuff out of the iron.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Congratulations on a rare button.
Must be rare since no one can I.D. it.
On Tnet,, that is rare

Thanks Against The Wind! I think the consensus is that its the Alberts GI79E... however you're right that the backmark is not listed and there doesn't appear to be and info on it in the books. I don't know enough about buttons that to know if that's a common thing... that buttons have unlisted backmarks. So perhaps it could be one that is hard to come by

Beautiful button Brad, one of my favorite military buttons. You couldn't ask for better condition. When I lived on the Peninsula I got permission to hunt a small garden plot, I found 20 of those 1 piece eagle buttons, but it had been fertilized so heavily that the eagles were nearly impossible to make out. I ended up with a few decent ones, but like someone else said, they wore easily. That's one of the better examples I have seen. Nice work picking stuff out of the iron.

Thanks a ton Evan! I have two favorite military buttons now. This Infantry one is the nicest to look at. The 1812 Pewter 4th reg in my avatar is amazing if you get the light just right on it. Easily my two top buttons now. I bet digging all those in the garden was a blast. I couldn't imagine the feeling of digging one of them, times 20. ha

 

[relic lover]

As long as we are playing show-and-tell I figured I might as well show my favorite one piece which is a militia button. The back Mark also May give a clue as to the origin of your button. Perhaps your button was made in England.

 

[Ahab8]

Thanks Against The Wind! I think the consensus is that its the Alberts GI79E... however you're right that the backmark is not listed and there doesn't appear to be and info on it in the books. I don't know enough about buttons that to know if that's a common thing... that buttons have unlisted backmarks. So perhaps it could be one that is hard to come by



Thanks a ton Evan! I have two favorite military buttons now. This Infantry one is the nicest to look at. The 1812 Pewter 4th reg in my avatar is amazing if you get the light just right on it. Easily my two top buttons now. I bet digging all those in the garden was a blast. I couldn't imagine the feeling of digging one of them, times 20. ha

And where did you find those Brad? Lol

 

[OutdoorAdv]

And where did you find those Brad? Lol

Standing in the footsteps of soldiers and digging those 1812 pewters was the best day of relic hunting I've ever had! Beats my multiple Spanish and copper days easily.