Pre 1902 military button help

[jjg70]

I found this button today and from what i can tell from Alberts book of buttons it's pre 1902 general service button, 2 piece design.
The shield looks to be divided into four quadrants, there are 13 dots around top edge of button and the is a word below the eagles tail i cant make out all the way. the first letters are EX followed by either and O or C, then the last part of word is S?OR, there are a few letters in the middle I can't make out. Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

New York State Militia. The back is what is called a "self-shanK" back ...meaning, the button's disc-shaped back itself has a hole for sewing the button onto cloth, instead of having a wire loop on the back for the thread. A "self'shank" back on such a button generally means it was not official Military issue, but instead, made for use on a civilian coat, as a "Fashion" button. Your NY Militia self-shank button dates from the late-1800s to early 1900s. (No civil war era buttons have that self-shank back.)

 

[jjg70]

Thanks cannonball. Was ny state militia buttons the only ones that have excelsior on them?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

New York is the only state whose motto includes the word Excelsior, so I would suspect that only that state's buttons say it. http://www.netstate.com/states/tables/state_mottoes.htm

If you'd like some additional information:
I can see why you guessed it was a pre-1902 general service button, or General Staff button, but on both of thise types, the eagle's wings are totally upraised ...meaning, the wing's end is pointing upward. On your button, the wing's end is downward. Also, the shield on your eagle's chest shows elements of the New York State Seal, rather than the Union shield seen on US General Staff buttons.

Other info: the emblem on your self-shank button is the Staff-rank officer's version of NY State Militia. The military-issue type is NY28 in the Albert book. Enlisted-men wore NY30.

 

[jjg70]

Thanks again cannonballguy. I didn't notice the wings. I'm going to look in the new York section in alberts now