OLD BUTTON found in woods deep 1800-1830 thanks PBK and Don.

[coolcash2004]

Found this old button at 5 inches under a big tree in old woods. Anyone know what its from? Age? Value? More detals on the writing in back later. Thanks.

Thanks Don and PBK. Thanks everyone. Got a new sight to hunt!

-CC

 

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[Montana Jim]

Re: OLD BUTTON found in woods deep. Need help ID

Will reserve comments until PBK identifies it.

Then... I'm going to agree with him.

 

[Don in SJ]

Re: OLD BUTTON found in woods deep. Need help ID

I will go out on a limb and say it appears to be pewter, it appears to be old say late 18th or early 19th century, value? ah, it looks nice in you button display box.

I think it is pewter based on the fact it looks like a typical crumbling pewter button, but hard to tell from your scan.

I cropped and doctored your scan a bit, maybe a better answer will be forthcoming.

Don

 

[coolcash2004]

Re: OLD BUTTON found in woods deep. Need help ID

Lol. Thanks!

Thanks! I always wanted an old button! its my first.


I shall PM PBK soon.

-CC

 

[PBK]

Re: OLD BUTTON found in woods deep. Need help ID

Don is right... it's pewter. In fact, an identical button is listed in Hughes & Lester's The Big Book of Buttons: p. 206, Plate 79, No. 30. You mentioned writing on the back. The one in the book is backmarked "A. Matthews / Hard White." — See Don's post below about "A. Matthews."— "Hard White," of course, is a quality mark referring to the pewter. Hughes & Lester give a date range of c. 1800-1830 for this and other hard white pewter buttons.

 

[Don in SJ]

Re: OLD BUTTON found in woods deep. Need help ID

CC, if the button is crumbling I suggest you spray it with a thin coat of lacquer or coat it in wax, but the spraying with lacquer is easiest and effective on pewter buttons.

Don

 

[ModernMiner]

Re: OLD BUTTON found in woods deep. Need help ID

Will reserve comments until PBK identifies it.

Then... I'm going to agree with him.

LMAO! Classic.

Nice old button.
Congrats,
MM

 

[Don in SJ]

Re: OLD BUTTON found in woods deep. Need help ID

Anson Matthews, Southington, Connecticut, 1806-1830 Matthews was a prolific maker of hard, white pewter buttons with iron shanks. More pewter buttons are found today with Matthew's backmarks than any other early American maker. He was issued a patent in 1815 for an improvement in manufacturing buttons molds from wood.

Backmarks by his firm: A.MATTHEWS.*.
A.MATTHEWS./***.***.
+ A.MATTHEWS + / HARD WHITE

Ref: Warren Tices Dating Buttons book page 94


Don

 

[whitesid]

Re: OLD BUTTON found in woods deep. Need help ID

great find!!

 

[Montana Jim]

Re: OLD BUTTON found in woods deep. Need help ID

Don is right... it's pewter. In fact, an identical button is listed in Hughes & Lester's The Big Book of Buttons: p. 206, Plate 79, No. 30. You mentioned writing on the back. The one in the book is backmarked "A. Matthews / Hard White." — See Don's post below about "A. Matthews."— "Hard White," of course, is a quality mark referring to the pewter. Hughes & Lester give a date range of c. 1800-1830 for this and other hard white pewter buttons.

I agree!

 

[coolcash2004]

Re: OLD BUTTON found in woods deep. Need help ID

Thanks! My oldest yet!

-CC

 

[Boobydoo]

Re: OLD BUTTON found in woods deep. Need help ID

Cool find CC!! Congrats on that oldie!!

Smiles!
BDoo

 

[coolcash2004]

Thanks Bdoo!

My oldest find yet!

-CC

 

[Boobydoo]

Thanks Bdoo!

My oldest find yet!

-CC

It would be Cool if you got some good old silver from that spot too. Good luck!

Smiles!
BDoo

 

[coolcash2004]

I hope so! Thanks!

-CC