Possible civil war button?

[CountryLife]

I'm very new to medal detecting and was hoping someone could provide a little info about the button I found. It's very light, hollow in the middle I believe. The button was found in a private yard that used to be an 1900 school house converted into a regular house in southern Maryland. There was a civil war prison (point lookout) about 4 miles away. I haven't really cleaned the button because I don't want to mess it up. I used a toothpick to carefully remove the dirt on the top but haven't touched the back yet. I think I will buy some aluminum jelly to try to clean the whole thing. Was hoping someone might be able to tell if it was a civil war era button and if so, what branch or union/confederate. Also curious if it was a coat button, pants or something else. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

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[smokeythecat]

I wouldn't use aluminum jelly. Try a stiff bristle brush or soft brass brush. Look like a navy button, the backmark will give away the age.

 

[villagenut]

If the back is rusted out iron, it may indicate a later blazer type button. Will have to see more detail. Still a nice one either way.

 

[BARKER]

Hi; What I can tell you is it is a Civil War Artillery Button. Do not use aluminum jelly. The button already has crack on the Eagles wings. GO GENTLY and SLOWLY ok. Soak it in water and then toothpick it every few days. Otherwise you run the risk of destroying it completely ok. PEACE:RONB

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I recognize it. Its a civilian blazer button with a navy motiff. And its not CW era.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Hi; What I can tell you is it is a Civil War Artillery Button.

It is not. Its a civilian fashion button. The large anchor eye is the biggest clue. They are still made today. I found one in my backyard. http://www.waterburybutton.com/cart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=0&idproduct=28802

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Countrylife welcome to TN. I hope I didnt sound too blunt. I just make the ID as truthful as I can and I am very familiar with this button. Any button is an interesting find but unfortunately its a common civilian blazer fashion button and its after the CW era. Steel back may even be 20th century. It kinda looks like a self shank. The monetary value even with the nice patina is minimal. But if I were you, I would just keep it as is.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Welcome to the forums. There is a wealth of information here. I second Bigcypresshunter's ID and want to add that I found one at a site that was giving up Union and Confederate buttons. I just knew I had a period Navy button until I posted it here and was properly schooled on it's true identity. I still keep it with my finds from that site as a reminder that anything can be found just about anywhere! Keep looking, a good one will pop up soon enough.
Here is a link to a button very similar to yours listed on the Waterbury website under Fashion/Eagles.http://www.waterburybutton.com/cart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=55&idproduct=28813
By the way, the Waterbury site is a very good tool for aiding in button identification. Here's a link to the home page if you want to bookmark it.
http://www.waterburybutton.com/cart/pc/home.asp

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

fyrffytr1 http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/289345-eagle-button.html

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

The rounded wings are a big clue to the civilian type


Here are several steel back varieties on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-Vintage-B...219232?hash=item25b0fde520:g:X2sAAOSwHnFVxTlb

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

BigCypressHunter corrected the appallingly ignorant mis-identification of your button as a civil war Artillery button much more politely than I would have done.

He is also correct that your button has what button-collectors call a "self-shank" back, because the button's back itself is what constitutes the "shank" (or holes) for sewing the button onto cloth... which is from long after the end of the civil war. Speaking more specifically, your button has what is called a "simple pierced dome" self-shank back. The photos below show why that descriptive name is used. (Hopefully you csn make out the dome at the center of the button's back.) That version of self-shank back first shows up around 1900/1910... and is still being produced today, because it is extremely cheap to manufacture. As the photos show, it is often made of thin iron sheetmetal (like yours) but sometimes thin sheetbrass.

 

[CountryLife]

Thanks for the replies everybody. I thought it might be too good to be true. From years of reading the forums, I knew that you guys could give me some accurate info. I think that I will leave it as is, so I don't mess it up. Found some sort of cuff link near it that I thought could be CW era too but now I'm pretty sure it's probably not.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Thanks for the replies everybody. I thought it might be too good to be true. From years of reading the forums, I knew that you guys could give me some accurate info. I think that I will leave it as is, so I don't mess it up. Found some sort of cuff link near it that I thought could be CW era too but now I'm pretty sure it's probably not. View attachment 1309618

I dont remember how old they are but I have those in my 1909 Sears Roebuck Catalog. I dont have the book with me but I found my photo on an old thread.
"Gents Dumb Bell Pattern Cuff Links" Nice find.