Tombac Button?

[West Jersey Detecting]

This is not actually "today's find". It was dug about 18 months ago, but I was looking through my older finds and came across it. I never gave it a second look until some recent tombac posts got me thinking about this one.

The thing that strikes me as unusual about the button is that it appears to have had a coating. This is how the button looks after numerous cleanings. What you see is not dirt. I have never dug a button like this. Most tombacs come out pretty clean after a few treatments.

The button is fairly large; exactly one inch (25.4 mm). It was found at a colonial homesite near Trenton NJ.

Any experts out there?

 

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[Kiros32]

The shank design and size look right. The only Tombac I found came out looking like it was dropped yesterday, as do the ones in the links below. So not sure...nice find regardless.

http://www.chippewanaturecenter.com/Oxbow/tombac buttons.htm

http://vintagebuttons.net/shanks.html (middle of page on the right, looks just like the one that I found. I will try and take pics tonight)

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Could it be pewter?

MM,
I don't think it is pewter. Pewter buttons tend to be more brittle. This seems pretty solid. The VDI jumped from quarter to pull tab, which is typical for most buttons I find.

 

[jraven]

Found this button yesterday, I think it has a similar coating. I cleaned with water and soap.