Naval button ID needed.

[artyfacts]

Dug this Navy button and could not find a match. Would like to find out the rarity and a round about date. There is only a partial back mark. Here goes, Top word looks like, ?ABECK with possible letters before the letter A cant tell but the abeck is visible. Bottom word, * PROV?? * . Thanks, Art

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Fyrffytr1, according to the Albert button-book, on literally almost every official version of US Navy button from the mid-1840s to the present day USN buttons, "the rule" is that the rope-border passes through the ring on the anchor's top.

Albert's NA 114 is almost a perfect match. The only difference I see is the anchor fluke in front of the wing. This button may be a later version?

What is the dateline for NA-114?

The flute behind the wing usually means CW era but since CBG says the J.C.L. Shabeck company was in business from 1905-1930, it must be an early WWI button with old fronts or old dies.

The only part I was concerned about is the exact matching button found by Plymouthian12, that seems to have the older mercury guiding. http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,414342.0.html I realize now that would seem to back up the theory of the J.C.L. Shabeck company using up older stock for the front halves. Notice only the front is guilded.




Links on mercury guilding. http://www.facsnet.org/british-encyclopedia/Button.html

http://books.google.com/books?id=PK...en#v=onepage&q=mercury gilding button&f=false

 

[fyrffytr1]

I am not 100% sure on the dateline. Either I don't know how to decipher Albert's or it doesn't list a period. There are no backmarks listed for NA-114.
That being said the progression of buttons in the book is from oldest (NA-1) to newest (NA-141). NA-121 is the first button posted after the Order of May 14, 1941 that changed the button to eagle facing right.
That would put NA-114 in line with the Shabeck mark. It's also interesting to note that Shabeck is attributed to NA-113 but the rope passes through the anchor and the fluke is in front of the wing.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

All the research points to WWI US Navy.