🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Need a button ID

[pepperj]

Pewter
..R
N⬆F

 

[The Rebel]

Very interesting button.

 

[pepperj]

Very interesting button.

It came off a site that has produce a good number of buttons.
Yesterday it this button, Tomback, and all flat.
Few oxen shoes, part of a trigger guard, part of a lead spigot.
The only old coin was a 1805 Half Cent (found in Dec)

 

[mjb Mike]

very interesting see what they come up with

 

[Red-Coat]

Very interesting find. It looks to me like a 'broad arrow' in the centre, as used to indicate British government property, particularly military items, but also by other official organisations serving the Crown.

I have seen lead seals with a similar marking plus initials, like this:

It doesn't seem to be a seal though, and neither does it seem to be a uniform button, I wonder if perhaps it's a button-type fastener from some other piece of kit, At first I thought the initials were 'RNH' for 'Royal Naval Hospital', as on this tunic button below, but with some enhancement, yours appears to be 'RNF' or 'RNE'.

Nothing 'Royal Navy...' springs to mind and and my only other thought was 'Royal Northumberland Fusiliers'. I've never seen a button quite like it though.

 

[pepperj]

Very interesting find. It looks to me like a 'broad arrow' in the centre, as used to indicate British government property, particularly military items, but also by other official organisations serving the Crown.

I have seen lead seals with a similar marking plus initials, like this:

View attachment 2135667

It doesn't seem to be a seal though, and neither does it seem to be a uniform button, I wonder if perhaps it's a button-type fastener from some other piece of kit, At first I thought the initials were 'RNH' for 'Royal Naval Hospital', as on this tunic button below, but with some enhancement, yours appears to be 'RNF' or 'RNE'.

View attachment 2135668

Nothing 'Royal Navy...' springs to mind and and my only other thought was 'Royal Northumberland Fusiliers'. I've never seen a button quite like it though.

Thanks for the reply
I agree on the broad arrow
Just sent a query to WIX to see if they'll provide any insight on the ID of the button.
@Iron Patch might also know as he's very knowledgable when it comes to these type of things.

 

[invent4hir]

Very interesting artifact. Red-Coat already mentioned 'Royal Northumberland Fusiliers' - which is what I thought. Looking at the reverse you may be able to approximate the age based on the shank. Consider providing more details like the diameter, where the property is located, what is/was there, any other artifacts found nearby.

 

[pepperj]

Very interesting artifact. Red-Coat already mentioned 'Royal Northumberland Fusiliers' - which is what I thought. Looking at the reverse you may be able to approximate the age based on the shank. Consider providing more details like the diameter, where the property is located, what is/was there, any other artifacts found nearby.

20.75MM
Found 30 miles NE of Kingston Ontario
Here's the finds from the site

Digging in the soft tundra corn field

So with the temps. going up to 60F. The call of the dirt was calling. So I quickly did some chores, jumped in the truck, battery dead. Plan B grab the Honda and off I went-only to realize 3 miles from home I forgot the shovel, quick return, and off to the site. 1 week can sure make the...

www.treasurenet.com

Year end hunt, silver, military, awesome Half Cent.

I went back to the new permission for another hunt. Started with a big thimble. Then I started to find a few buttons, then a buckle. I dug the old copper, and stuck it in my pocket. Then I got a 92, which changed to a 99 out of the hole. I really thought I had a colonial silver. But it was not...

www.treasurenet.com

The last few finds on this hunt

Boxing Day hunt.

The weather warmed up to a pleasing 46F yesterday. Time for a little play, and the last one for the year. So the snow fog cleared mostly, and I headed out. Was planning of going south for the day. Multiple cellar holes spread over a few permissions. As I was driving down the highway I glanced...

www.treasurenet.com

 

[invent4hir]

pepperj, that is one heck of a site! Despite the extra info you provided I'm stumped on the button. Consider sending the link to the National Army Museum in London as someone their might be able to ID. Their website is: https://www.nam.ac.uk/collections/enquiries

 

[Digginitdaily]

It's a royal button. Revolutionary era. There's a website that list all the buttons from that area .I can't remember it but try Googling royal military buttons

 

[Digginitdaily]

Online Database of Early British Military Buttons

The largest online database of early British Military buttons of the militias, yeomanry, cavalry and rifles units

asahelena.wixsite.com

Found it !

 

[Red-Coat]

Online Database of Early British Military Buttons

The largest online database of early British Military buttons of the militias, yeomanry, cavalry and rifles units

asahelena.wixsite.com

Found it !

Yes, but did you find the actual button?

I'm still of the opinion that it's not a uniform button unless from an early militia unit, for which the initials ring no bells for me. Perhaps a button fastener for a pouch, knapsack or whatever. It would also be unusual for the buttons of early, locally-raised militia units to be marked as crown property with a broad arrow.

If the 'R' stands for 'Royal' then the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers can be ruled out since they weren't granted a 'Royal' title until 1935.

 

[Digginitdaily]

Yes, but did you find the actual button?

I'm still of the opinion that it's not a uniform button unless from an early militia unit, for which the initials ring no bells for me. Perhaps a button fastener for a pouch, knapsack or whatever. It would also be unusual for the buttons of early, locally-raised militia units to be marked as crown property with a broad arrow.

If the 'R' stands for 'Royal' then the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers can be ruled out since they weren't granted a 'Royal' title until 1935.

Oh no.... I meant found it as in found the website. I'll leave the fun stuff up to you!

 

[Robot]

Hi,
This is a very old Royal Navy Button.
I see it is a R.N.F. Button...The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force and a component of His Majesty's Naval Service

 

[ironhorse]

Interesting button Pepp!
As you know the construction points to the last few decades of the 1700s into the early 1800s...cast pewter with iron shank on a raised boss on the reverse.
As RC point out, it could possibly have been connected to an obscure British militia unit which is a likely source but until theres further evidence it may never be identified.
I looked around to find any info I could but didnt come up with anything solid...the only reference I could find with the corresponding letters was NRF...His Majesty's Newfoundland Regiment of Foot.
Raised and ended in the 1780s for the defense of Newfoundland.
Your button does not match any known designs for that regiment but then again theres still a chance of a new pattern.
Sadly we dont have the strong core of early colonial hunters on this site we used to have years ago and items from this time are now going unnoticed and unidentified without the knowledge base that used to be here.
I hope that we get to the bottom of this one..it could be a game changer!