✅ SOLVED Two flat buttons found at fur trade site...Need help ID'ng.

mk4125 · May 26, 2017

Both of the flat buttons were found at a fur trade site in Northern Michigan. The one button clearly states 'VERGULD DUBBEL'. The other button is silver plated and states 'PLATED' on the back. I am finding nothing on the internet... which is odd given the unique name for the one.

Let me say that whatever the sand/soil composition is there is barely any corrosion on any item being dug up - to include iron square nails. It's unbelievable how clean everything is.

nhbenz · May 26, 2017

The text on the one means double (gold) gilt in Dutch.

mk4125 · May 26, 2017

Ah...yep. Double Gold Gilt it is. Google could have helped me out on that one...but gave me nothing (not even a translation when I searched). Any idea what kind of time period?

nhbenz said:
The text on the one means double (gold) gilt in Dutch.

TheCannonballGuy · May 26, 2017

Your brass 1-piece flatbutton with a raised-lettering backmark ("PLATED") dates from sometime between approximately 1790 and the early-1830s. The one with an indented-lettering backmark dates a bit later, about 1810 through the 1830s. Those statements are based on the Albert button-book's American Military 1-piece buttons with raised-lettering backmarks and indented-lettering backmarks whose time-periods are known with certainty.

mk4125 · May 27, 2017

TheCannonballGuy said:
Your brass 1-piece flatbutton with a raised-lettering backmark ("PLATED") dates from sometime between approximately 1790 and the early-1830s. The one with an indented-lettering backmark dates a bit later, about 1810 through the 1830s. Those staements are based on the Albert button-book's American Military 1-piece buttons with raised-lettering backmarks and indented-lettering nackmarks whose time-periods are known with certainty.

You guys are an amazing wealth of knowledge/resources.