UPDATE: RARE vest size Confederate General Staff button with 13 stars found..........

Devonrex · Jun 15, 2012

Wanted to pass on this additional information I just learned about the button I dug in South Eastern Virginia a little over 3 weeks ago. When I dug this button I knew I had a tight button because of its size and extremely high dome. It wasn't until I got home and started cleaning it that I realized I had a Confederate General Staff button. I have been searching since I was a teenager for one and now can finally cross it off my list. Only took 25 years to find it! And now I've been told this little vest button is extremely rare! Albert did not list it in his book but Tice has it listed as CS269As1-1. The button has a wide border displaying the eagle with droop wings on a lined field surrounded by 13 stars, 2 of which are below the eagle. The back is blank with full standout shank, 16mm in diameter, extremely high dome. It was found in an area where just days before I had dug a Mississippi I coat, a local Virginia coat, and a Virginia cuff. Numerous Gardners and Georgia teat bullets were found around it as well as musket balls. From what I've been told these staff buttons with 13 stars surrounding the eagle were given to the Confederate Staff officers of Cobb's Legion from the state of Georgia. Colonel Cobb (later promoted to brigadier general in Fall of1862) was in my area during the Peninsula campaign (1861-1862). The very few specimens that have been found have been predominantly coat size buttons - the 16mm vest (tunic) size button I recovered is much, much rarer. The Picket Post offered a coat specimen for sale a little over a year ago that was dug in Fredericksburg in the early 70's and stated less than 3 dug coat specimens were known. I've been told by many long time relic hunters this is the first of this size they have ever seen (other than the specimen shown in Tice's book)! Tice states he is only aware of 1 non-dug coat size specimen. I feel blessed to have been able to find this button and preserve it for many others to see! This is by far the best button I have dug in a very long time!!! Devonrex