Tiny Union Eagle Button (strange looking) help...

[alderan33]

Found this Eagle Button on top of the ground near a two ringer which was also on top of the ground. This little guy measures 1/2" in diameter and appears to have stars around the edges. I have many eagle buttons but I have never seen one like this. Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks for looking and HH!

 

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[Gypsy Heart]

Enlisted and officer cuff button?

 

[ivan salis]

drooped wing eagle = possible confederate ? anchor = naval button --- just how many stars are there on it?

size wize looks like a cuff size button.

 

[nova treasure]

I would think 1830-1850 Federal Navy cuff.

Bill

 

[umrgolf]

I would think 1830-1850 Federal Navy cuff.

Bill

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

NovaTreasure is correct. More specifically, 1840-to-1852 US Navy. It appears to be the cuff/kepi-size version of button NA-102 in the Albert button-book. When seen with an iron back, the small-size version was usually for use on a kepi, rather than as a cuff button.

 

[alderan33]

I would think 1830-1850 Federal Navy cuff.

Bill

Well that helps. Any guesses why a Federal Navy Cuff would have been dropped on the ground near the site of an old bridge that was used by pioneers on the Oregon Trail? There was, however, a Union Fort about 5 miles away. (Ft. Caspar)

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Alderan33 wrote:
> Any guesses why a Federal Navy Cuff would have been dropped on the ground near the site of an old bridge
> that was used by pioneers on the Oregon Trail? There was, however, a Union Fort about 5 miles away. (Ft. Caspar)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Caspar

The Wikipedia article speaks of the "original" bridge on the Oregon Trail being "several miles" from the newer bridge at what became Fort Caspar.

As mentioned, your US Navy button (with its very-prominent rope-border rim) dates from 1840-1852. We know from civil war reports, and battlefiled digs, that "volunteers" sometimes showed up wearing their dad's (or even grand-dad's) equipment. It's worth mentioning that we civil war relic diggers have found a puzzling large quantity of US Navy buttons at far-inland battlesites ...particularly, in my own relic-digging experience, at the battle of Chancellorsville.

A related possibility regarding your button's location:
As digger-finds in civil war sites show, sometimes when a soldier needed a replacement for a lost button, he wasn't very particular about what the replacement looked like, if it would serve for the need. That is a typical characteristic of Human behavior. ;-)

 

[alderan33]

Alderan33 wrote:
> Any guesses why a Federal Navy Cuff would have been dropped on the ground near the site of an old bridge
> that was used by pioneers on the Oregon Trail? There was, however, a Union Fort about 5 miles away. (Ft. Caspar)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Caspar

The Wikipedia article speaks of the "original" bridge on the Oregon Trail being "several miles" from the newer bridge at what became Fort Caspar.

As mentioned, your US Navy button (with its very-prominent rope-border rim) dates from 1840-1852. We know from civil war reports, and battlefiled digs, that "volunteers" sometimes showed up wearing their dad's (or even grand-dad's) equipment. It's worth mentioning that we civil war relic diggers have found a puzzling large quantity of US Navy buttons at far-inland battlesites ...particularly, in my own relic-digging experience, at the battle of Chancellorsville.

A related possibility regarding your button's location:
As digger-finds in civil war sites show, sometimes when a soldier needed a replacement for a lost button, he wasn't very particular about what the replacement looked like, if it would serve for the need. That is a typical characteristic of Human behavior. ;-)

OK but this particular button has no rope border rim but instead an edge like a Rosie dime.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

In the photo you posted showing the button's front, the lines on its rim seem to be "leaning" leftward ...not "stand straight up" like the reeding on the edge of a dime. If you're saying what I'm seeing is just an optical illusion in the photo, okay. But if so, I must say I'm unaware of any American Military button whose edge looks like a dime's reeded edge.

 

[alderan33]

In the photo you posted showing the button's front, the lines on its rim seem to be "leaning" leftward ...not "stand straight up" like the reeding on the edge of a dime. If you're saying what I'm seeing is just an optical illusion in the photo, okay. But if so, I must say I'm unaware of any American Military button whose edge looks like a dime's reeded edge.

Upon further inspection, the edge does appear to be a rope after all. Only the top half seems reeded and indeed leaning leftward. You are right and I was wrong. It is really hard to tell since it's probably been laying on the ground for 150 or so years. lol Thanks for the great ID. I will check this one solved. HH

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Congratulations on your find, and good luck to you in your future digging. Thank you for re-checking the button's rim, and taking the time to post confirmation that I was correct, it does indeed have a "rope border" rim. You had me thinking I needed to an expensive appointment with an eye doctor. ;-)