Need button identified

[capt.ken m]

New to the forum. Trying to figure it out. Found this button. Can anyone tell me about it. On the back it says " Phil Jacob Reeds sons". The front has three letters CCF or CCE. Any ideas on age ? If it's military or not?

 

[duggap]

Welcome aboard. I can give you some information, but I haven't figured what the letters on your button stand for. "Jacob Reed of Philadelphia was originally established in 1824 and lasted until 1980. Reed was a tailor who did a trade in Army and Navy goods. He was out of business by Oct 1861 but reestablished after the civil war and then was succeeded by his sons. All known b/m's are post civil war with one exception" (From American Button Makers and Dealer; Their backmarks & Dates, by McGuinn and Bazelon)

 

[kingskid1611]

Welcome to the party. You came to the right place to get it ID'ed. Someone will know, there is a lot of experts on here. Good Luck.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

I suspect your button is not Military, because I couldn't find it in the Military sections of the book "Record Of American Uniform And Historical Buttons" by Alphaeus H. Albert. I also searched through every button in that book's State Militia Regiments sections. I think it is more likely to be either a School button or what the Waterbury Button Company website calls a Career Uniform button (such as hotel employee, railroad employee, etc.).

As Duggap showed, the Jacob Reed firm was in business from 1824 until 1980... a total of 156 years. Therefore, the firm's name changed as its original founder and then his sons passed away. The same changes occurred in the Horstmann company's long timeline.
W.H. Horstmann
Horstmann & Sons
Horstmann Brothers
Horstmann Company

Because your button's backmark says "Jacob Reed's Sons" it was most probably manufactured after Jacob passed away, in the late-1800s. Also, the backmark is written in "plain block" letters, which is rare in backmarks until the late-1800s. Lastly, your backmark abbreviates Philadelphia as "Phil" instead of "Phila". The "Phil" abbreviation is seen on Reed buttons from the early 20th-Century.

 

[capt.ken m]

Thanks guys. I tried to find the button on the web. To no avail. So I turned to your forum. Was hoping I had something rare. Thanks again. Hope to be Posting again soon.

 

[CRUSADER]

Probably off a large company uniform.