Old Rev Button...I think

[CityDigger]

Haven't asked this question in a while, but whats this? It's a very soft metal. No letters or numbers that I can get off of it. Almost looks like a coat of arms. Cleaned up great as you can see from the initial pic with the quarter. It kind of feels like pewter. Thinking this is my oldest button ever!

 

[Broken knee]

Well it could be Britannia metal if it's not silver, it doesn't look like lead to me. The 1600's nipple buttons I found come out looking like your button and there Britannia, which is still pewter just a better formulation than standard pewter used for table ware/ silverware. neat looking button HH
BK

 

[Broken knee]

Actually pleased with the condition of the find. I've found a few rev era things around here and this isn't too bad, imo. I've got a pewter button that can't even be handled because it falls apart in your hands. I think that if I can track down some info on this button, the quadrants will make sense.

Pewter that old does crumble this is why I think it's Britannia I could be wrong? HH
BK

 

[CRUSADER]

Thanks guys for all of the feedback. Just for curiosity's sake. Is there a tell-tale way to know what it is made of? I've found quite a few bullets in this area and never had one come out of the ground looking like this. I'd be shocked if it's lead...but it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.

Lead & lead-alloy varies a lot & so does its 'look'. I'm 100% sure, based on past finds & experience, that your Lead-Alloy Button is more Lead than any other metal & not pewter. The real obivious signs are the dig marks & rippling of shape which would never happen like that on any other type of metal.

 

[Silver Searcher]

Nice looking button The back looks like it's marked quite bad, leading me to think it's soft like lead. Either way it could be a early type, both lead and silver buttons can date way back....nice find

SS

 

[johnnyblaze]

Well it could be Britannia metal if it's not silver, it doesn't look like lead to me. The 1600's nipple buttons I found come out looking like your button and there Britannia, which is still pewter just a better formulation than standard pewter used for table ware/ silverware. neat looking button HH
BK

I think your 100% right Broken Knee


Good to see you prove the Smarty pants of Tnet wrong

Blaze

 

[ironhorse]

I think your 100% right Broken Knee

Good to see you prove the Smarty pants of Tnet wrong

Blaze

What exactly has been" proven" here?
OP said it was cleaned, but the metal hasn't been nailed down to anything yet, be that lead pewter,brittanium, electroplate or whatever

I'm still in the smartypants camp

 

[Silver Searcher]

What exactly has been" proven" here?
OP said it was cleaned, but the metal hasn't been nailed down to anything yet, be that lead pewter,brittanium, electroplate or whatever

I'm still in the smartypants camp

I suppose his remark could be aimed at any body who replied, pity he couldn't contribute to the ID, instead of being a smart a$$.

SS

 

[Iron Patch]

I suppose his remark could be aimed at any body who replied, pity he couldn't contribute to the ID, instead of being a smart a$$.

SS

I guess you stick to what you're good at. ....and that's why I corrected him on lead always being white when found (because it's not), as well as the button in this thread being lead, which it very clearly is. So I think the rest of you are just wannabe smartypantses and I am the real deal as the comment was probably directed at me.

 

[Silver Searcher]

I guess you stick to what you're good at. ....and that's why I corrected him on lead always being white when found (because it's not), as well as the button in this thread being lead, which it very clearly is. So I think the rest of you are just wannabe smartypantses and I am the real deal as the comment was probably directed at me.

Yes I knew it was aimed at you, I was just pi$$ed that he implicated just about every one with the comment, instead of having the balls and coming straight out

SS

 

[johnnyblaze]

Yeah so anyway back to your Britannia button CityDigger

I also dug a handle a few years back that puzzled me on the material

I thought it was silver at first but then realized it had a iron rod in the middle for strength..

And wouldn't you know it has that iron in it because it is soft..Like Lead

These Smarty Pants fellas hate getting caught with there pants down

Blaze

 

[ironhorse]

Yeah so anyway back to your Britannia button CityDigger

I also dug a handle a few years back that puzzled me on the material

I thought it was silver at first but then realized it had a iron rod in the middle for strength..

And wouldn't you know it has that iron in it because it is soft..Like Lead

These Smarty Pants fellas hate getting caught with there pants down

Blaze

JB, your spoon handle appears to be plated metal, whether or not it's Britannia metal, I can't say from just pictures; having said that, that process didn't happen until the 1840s or so, the "H" mark also points in the right direction for it being electroplated brittanium, although the style of the button is earlier and probably not plated, they may not be the same composition

 

[johnnyblaze]

JB, your spoon handle appears to be plated metal, whether or not it's Britannia metal, I can't say from just pictures; having said that, that process didn't happen until the 1840s or so, the "H" mark also points in the right direction for it being electroplated brittanium, although the style of the button is earlier and probably not plated, they may not be the same composition

Absolutely not plated it is solid for sure..


Blaze

 

[ironhorse]

Absolutely not plated it is solid for sure..

Blaze

Like I said, it appears that way in the pics


Britannia metal doesn't contain lead so it shouldn't be soft like lead, your spoon handle appears firmer like pewter, the OPs button doesn't share those qualities, it's bent and gnarled like some lead from the ground; but also looks like pewter too; I'm still not convinced they're the same,

 

[johnnyblaze]

Like I said, it appears that way in the pics


Britannia metal doesn't contain lead so it shouldn't be soft like lead, your spoon handle appears firmer like pewter, the OPs button doesn't share those qualities, it's bent and gnarled like some lead from the ground; but also looks like pewter too; I'm still not convinced they're the same,

You,the Limey and "The Real Deal"

are judging it just by the marks on it..

Have you ever seen lead come out of the ground with a sheen on it under any conditions?

Blaze

 

[ironhorse]

You,the Limey and "The Real Deal"are judging it just by the marks on it..

Have you ever seen lead come out of the ground with a sheen on it under any conditions?

Blaze

Lead, no
the button was cleaned, dont know how or how much, or with what, do you?

I'm not privy to where it was found or the soil conditions or whole other host of information,yeah just the pictures and what was described briefly is what I got to go on
I'm just saying based on that and from what I know, plus I love a good debate

 

[CityDigger]

OP here...Hope this helps a little with the debate. It was only cleaned with a damp toothbrush and toothpick. Thats all. The attached pic is a roundball that was dug just a few feet away from the button. Thanks for the help.