One-of-a-kind? War of 1812, York Militia (Upper Canada), 1st Battalion coat button

MetallörgY

Greenie
Aug 9, 2018
12
44
Limestone, ME
Detector(s) used
White's MX Sport
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Greetings all, from Limestone, ME

Since moving from Lebanon, CT, to Limestone, ME, nearly 3 years' ago, I thought prime hunting grounds were a thing of the past, and that swinging up here at the North Pole would yield only modest gains. I was wrong. In the past 2.5 years, I've found the 3 Canadian Large Cents (3 separate reigns), couple of IHCs and BNs, a Standing Liberty Quarter, a tombac, and few early 1800s flat buttons - not bad - not CT, but not bad. I've also found a Canadian half penny token, dated 1815, in Madawaska, ME. The token is a fairly early coin relative to that area, south of the St. John River. And, oddly enough, I found what I believe to be a William and Mary half penny, in a Limestone potato field, directly behind a farm built in 1865. From the time I found the W&M @2 years' ago, to this past Sunday, I wondered how that coin found its way to Limestone, which was incorporated in 1869. Well, somehow, after this day of detecting, I forgot all about the W&M, and now I'm in complete disbelief - I just might have something interesting here...

When I pulled this button out of another potato field, also located in Limestone, it was nearly covered in recently turned soil, but I wiped away enough to note lettering on the OBVERSE which, after finding dozens of buttons from 1650-1840, I thought was pretty peculiar and looked forward to getting back to the house to run some water over it. After only a splash of water to remove the dirt, the crown and "MILITIA" came into view, so I began researching. Quite a few Google articles later, I have determined that what I have here is a York Militia (Upper Canada), 1st Battalion coat button. I knew nothing of the York Militia (all 3 York Militia battalions saw action in the Detroit/Niagara Falls regions during 1812 War) until I did the research - and now, as I mentioned earlier, I forgot about the W&M, and now wonder how in the world this button ended up here in Limestone.

I've provided the links below to further research the York Militia


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Militia

I'm going to guess that the number of men within each York Militia battalion was few. The militia was founded in what is now Toronto, Canada. How did this button end up here? At the North Pole? Not only am I going to continue to wonder how it came to rest here, in Limestone, but I now have the centerpiece to my collection - and I've unearthed some fantastic items in CT! I tend to think this button is a rare example. Is it one of a kind? Has anyone on TN seen such a button?

I thank you all for your feedback.

-MetallörgY
"Come swing with us"


**Photo 1: zoom in to see (faintly) YORK
**Photo 2: zoom in to see "1" over BATTn" - I am assuming "1st"
 

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Upvote 12

pepperj

Gold Member
Feb 3, 2009
37,039
137,041
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Deus, Deus 2, Minelab 3030, E-Trac,
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Congrats on the button.
Hard to make out the detail as the photos are a tad dark.
 

OP
OP
MetallörgY

MetallörgY

Greenie
Aug 9, 2018
12
44
Limestone, ME
Detector(s) used
White's MX Sport
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
All-

Please note that where I mentioned "photo 1", above, should have been noted as photo 9.

I took 2 additional photos in an attempt to capture the details.
Button 13.jpg

Button 12.jpg
 

CRUSADER

Gold Member
May 25, 2007
40,820
45,226
ENGLAND
🥇 Banner finds
27
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II v0.6 with 11" Coil
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
90% sure that's a Victorian Crown type, so post-1812. (but I don't have the specialist books)
 

Digger RJ

Gold Member
Aug 24, 2017
19,314
33,465
SW Missouri/Oklahoma
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030; Minelab Equinox 800;
XP Deus 2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Greetings all, from Limestone, ME

Since moving from Lebanon, CT, to Limestone, ME, nearly 3 years' ago, I thought prime hunting grounds were a thing of the past, and that swinging up here at the North Pole would yield only modest gains. I was wrong. In the past 2.5 years, I've found the 3 Canadian Large Cents (3 separate reigns), couple of IHCs and BNs, a Standing Liberty Quarter, a tombac, and few early 1800s flat buttons - not bad - not CT, but not bad. I've also found a Canadian half penny token, dated 1815, in Madawaska, ME. The token is a fairly early coin relative to that area, south of the St. John River. And, oddly enough, I found what I believe to be a William and Mary half penny, in a Limestone potato field, directly behind a farm built in 1865. From the time I found the W&M @2 years' ago, to this past Sunday, I wondered how that coin found its way to Limestone, which was incorporated in 1869. Well, somehow, after this day of detecting, I forgot all about the W&M, and now I'm in complete disbelief - I just might have something interesting here...

When I pulled this button out of another potato field, also located in Limestone, it was nearly covered in recently turned soil, but I wiped away enough to note lettering on the OBVERSE which, after finding dozens of buttons from 1650-1840, I thought was pretty peculiar and looked forward to getting back to the house to run some water over it. After only a splash of water to remove the dirt, the crown and "MILITIA" came into view, so I began researching. Quite a few Google articles later, I have determined that what I have here is a York Militia (Upper Canada), 1st Battalion coat button. I knew nothing of the York Militia (all 3 York Militia battalions saw action in the Detroit/Niagara Falls regions during 1812 War) until I did the research - and now, as I mentioned earlier, I forgot about the W&M, and now wonder how in the world this button ended up here in Limestone.

I've provided the links below to further research the York Militia


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Militia

I'm going to guess that the number of men within each York Militia battalion was few. The militia was founded in what is now Toronto, Canada. How did this button end up here? At the North Pole? Not only am I going to continue to wonder how it came to rest here, in Limestone, but I now have the centerpiece to my collection - and I've unearthed some fantastic items in CT! I tend to think this button is a rare example. Is it one of a kind? Has anyone on TN seen such a button?

I thank you all for your feedback.

-MetallörgY
"Come swing with us"


**Photo 1: zoom in to see (faintly) YORK
**Photo 2: zoom in to see "1" over BATTn" - I am assuming "1st"
Nice!!!! Congrats!!!!
 

DigToChina

Bronze Member
Sep 9, 2016
1,221
2,486
GTA East, Ontario
Detector(s) used
AT Pro, Fisher F2, ProPointer AT
An interesting but tough one and I hope you’re right. Can we get some cleared up pictures of the back too?

Wasn’t there a York Regiment out of New Brunswick (wasn’t 1812 though)? Seems more likely based on being next door to you if there was...
 

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