EARTHWORKS
Hero Member
Found today at a old revolution site. Could someone ID this for me.
Thanks,
Earthworks...
Thanks,
Earthworks...
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Don in SJ said:colonialdetectorist said:......the NY 2nd Bat. button is a 20th cenury reenactors button.
One question, I addressed this in an earlier reply, IF it is a reenactors button, why is there no record of any NY2nd Bat. reenactors unit?
Here is the quote from my earlier reply:
"I found this website that claims to be a "master listing" site for reenactor units and I do not see one for the 2nd Battalion New York, just the 3rd Battalion.......
http://www.revwar.com/reenact/master_list.html "
Don
The button with 23 on the reverse is my Plain Flat no.23 button. I have made hundreds of these over the years. The button to the left of it looks like my Plain Flat no.11 button, which is 5/8" diameter and the typical waistcoat size. The RP button is a repro made by the Billops Corp reenactment unit in the 1970's. Lots of the loyalist/provincial reenactment units still use this button because the details are quite sharp. The real RP button is slightly domed, and this repro is flat.
View attachment 1286955View attachment 1286956
The photo on the left shows the common circa 1970's repro large crown flat RP button. In the center is a repro made from an impression of an original circa 1780 large crown domed RP button. The RP button on the right is the flat small crown variety, which is made from an original. There are many varieties of original RP buttons, some small crown, some large crown, differences in the thickness of lettering, shape and detail of crown, etc. I don't suggest that all flat RP buttons are repros, but the originals I've seen with large crowns are very slightly domed. I haven't handled more than six, so flat large crown RP buttons may be legit, I just haven't seen them. Next time I see Bill McMillan I'll have to ask for the history of how the 1970's RP button came to be as I think he played a part in this reproduction. I do know that just before the Bicentennial a lot of units were making buttons based on photos shown in the circa 1920 book by Calver & Bolton, "History Written with Pick and Shovel", however few knew that some photos were heavily touched up.
The photo on the right shows the very slight dome of the original button. It isn't much of a dome but is noticeable when side by side with a flat button.
BTW - a slightly domed British regimental button is very common, probably as many were slightly domed as were flat.
Roy