LONG LIVE THE PRESIDENT!! G.W. INAUGURAL BUTTON!!

VERMONTPACKRAT · Oct 20, 2012

*UPDATE, RESTORED BUTTON* LONG LIVE THE PRESIDENT!! G.W. INAUGURAL BUTTON!!

This morning I returned to the field that I think I will call the "CHURCH FIELD". The last two visits were great with a 1787 Conn. Copper, KG II Copper, 1780 1 Reale, 2 really nice Dandy buttons and several other keepers. With this luck I thought that I would bring along my camera. I am glad I did! I LOVE getting field shots of good finds :headbang:

I will let the pictures talk and I will post again later. I am still kinda' excited and I have not cleaned up the other finds yet. Bullets, buttons, 1832 Large Cent, clock winding key, etc. I will post more pictures when I get the stuff cleaned up.

Check back later, VPR

UPDATE.......

Not too long after finding the button I sent it to Leonard Short for straightening and restoration. The button arrived today and as you will see in the pictures, Leonard has the magic touch! I never dreamed that the button would come out this good. He also added the shank on the back.
I will be using his services again in the future and I will recomend him to anyone that asks! You wont be disapointed with his work!

Thank You IRON PATCH for giving me his name

Valley Ranger · Oct 20, 2012

Beautiful! Great finds.

Broken knee · Oct 20, 2012

NICE!! HH
Broken Knee

civilman1 · Oct 20, 2012

Very,Very nice VPR!!! Congrat's :headbang:

MichiganMan · Oct 20, 2012

This has got to be THE Holy Grail for detectorists [in this category]. My heart always beats fast when I see one. Can anybody give me some stats on the G.W. inaugural button? How many were made? How many are presumed to exist? What are somebody's chances of finding one?

testing123 · Oct 20, 2012

Wow you are having a year to remember. Congrats on such a rare find!

Erik in NJ · Oct 20, 2012

Nice find!! I think I'd be tempted to leave it as you found it. I think it tells an interesting story being bent. I heard they were expensive buttons in their day--why would someone go through the trouble of bending one in half

I'm sure they were not that easy to bend and probably could not have been done by hand. Maybe someone didn't agree with GW's policies once he took office, bent it in half, and tossed it.

VERMONTPACKRAT · Oct 20, 2012

Erik in NJ said:
Nice find!! I think I'd be tempted to leave it as you found it. I think it tells an interesting story being bent. I heard they were expensive buttons in their day--why would someone go through the trouble of bending one in half I'm sure they were not that easy to bend and probably could not have been done by hand. Maybe someone didn't agree with GW's policies once he took office, bent it in half, and tossed it.

I am willing to bet that this button was bent by a plow. I have pictures of this field with corn.

VPR

fyrffytr1 · Oct 20, 2012

Real nice finds. I doubt that I will ever find a GW button down here. Heck, I can't even find a confederate button!

Erik in NJ · Oct 20, 2012

If it was bent by a plow, wouldn't there be an impact mark on it where it was hit? It would seem that a plow strike would cause significant damage to a button like this, no?

VERMONTPACKRAT said:
I am willing to bet that this button was bent by a plow. I have pictures of this field with corn.

VPR

VERMONTPACKRAT · Oct 20, 2012

Erik in NJ said:
If it was bent by a plow, wouldn't there be an impact mark on it where it was hit? It would seem that a plow strike would cause significant damage to a button like this, no?

Who knows

There are any number of ways that this button could have got bent, we will never know. This is one of those times where you wish a relic could talk. Imagine the story it could tell!

VPR

detectahead · Oct 20, 2012

Awesome! Awesome! Awesomemer! Can't wait to see more!

VERMONTPACKRAT · Oct 20, 2012

Iron Patch · Oct 20, 2012

VERMONTPACKRAT said:
Who knows There are any number of ways that this button could have got bent, we will never know. This is one of those times where you wish a relic could talk. Imagine the story it could tell!

VPR

Fields turn up lots of bent coins and buttons and I have no doubt it's the farming equipment doing it. The bend could have happened 50 years ago and is why there's no shiny part in the crease.

Erik in NJ · Oct 20, 2012

What caught my eye was the bottom right-hand pic in the original post. You can see that the button has been crimped in the same exact spot on both sides of the button. Coupled with the fact that the button is bent precisely in half as well as no plow strike on the button tends to tell me that this button was defaced by hand (probably with a tool). But this is just my observation given the existing photos. :unhappysmiley:

Mr Tuff · Oct 20, 2012

AWESOME!!!!!!

CC Hunter · Oct 21, 2012

Here you go, button is nearly straight now and only a few minor wrinkles! 8-)

Repair charge is only $20............. payable in pre-1860 gold coinage please

CC Hunter

Silver Searcher · Oct 21, 2012

Great find, I know how much you guys over there feel about finding one of those, must be a great feeling. As for straigning the button, I would have thought it all depends what you want to do with it, sell it, or keep it :icon_scratch:

To get that straight will no doubt involve some type of heat, which will affect the patina, and no doubt leave a crease on th underside, if you were to sell it might be best leaving it to the buyer, and let him decide, if you intend to keep it, then I will leave it alone as the patina is very nice....But a great find either way...well done. :headbang:

SS

Westfront · Oct 21, 2012

Pretty cool button! :icon_thumright:

Your first pic looks familar. like a postcard from Bavaria Germany. :laughing9:

...apart from the detector...

VERMONTPACKRAT · Oct 21, 2012

CC Hunter said:
Here you go, button is nearly straight now and only a few minor wrinkles!

Repair charge is only $20............. payable in pre-1860 gold coinage please

CC Hunter

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