Warranted Rich Gold Plate buttons

[NoVaRelics]

Morning all. I just got a new permission and found 3 Warranted Rich Gold Plate buttons. Each button was found about 8-10 inches apart in a straight line and about 8 inches deep. This property has been in the family since early 1700's and has not been picked through. I'm looking forward to going back.
I do have a couple questions if anyone can assist:
1) cleaning- what is the best way to clean them? I've read Aluminum Jelly which I cant find anywhere, amonia, or peroxide. I've cleaned with water and tooth brush so far and they've cleaned up nicely (see attached pics)
2) Can anyone give me any history on these buttons? I've found multiple backmarks on line with similar stamps but nothing exact.

 

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[Hawks88]

Welcome to tnet. and congrats on the nice button finds.

 

[Dug]

Aluminum Jelly is only useful if you know there is gilt under the oxidation to be revealed. My old eyes are not seeing any gilt in the pictures you posted.

IMO that is as far as I would take the cleaning. Any further and you will be trading the desirable green patina for the undesirable pink/purple finish.

 

[grasshopper]

They are civilian flat buttons from the early-mid 1800s.

Here's a write up by CannonBallGuy on an older thread that provides some more info on these types of flat buttons:

"Ones with a raised-lettering backmark date from approximately 1790 to the very-early-1840s, and ones with indented backmarking start about 1810.

The majority of the brass 1-piece flatbuttons we dig in the US were imported here from Britain, because the young US button-making industry was unable to mass-produce them until the 1820s.

The War-Of-1812 caused US consumers to dislike British-made products, so American button-makers sometimes included an American eagle in the button's backmark to signify that it was a US-made button. (British-made ones often have a British crown in the backmark.)

At that time, the word gilt in a button's backmark referred strictly to gold-plating... and the word plated meant silver-plating.

Also at that time, the British had established a set of "Quality" standards regarding the manufacture of metal buttons. Unfortunately, the standards were not strictly enforced, so button makers quickly went to playing fast-and-loose with the Quality ratings. I should mention, the American button manufacturers copied the British markings. So unless a backmark tells a British location (like London) or contains a British spelling (such as "colour" instead of color, a quality-rating in the backmark won't tell you whether the button is British-made or US-made. Some of the many examples of "Quality-Rating" in backmarks are:
Standard Quality
Extra Quality
Fine Quality
Superior Quality
Best Quality
Superfine Quality
Gilt
Extra Gilt
Fine Gilt
Treble Gilt
"Orange Colour" (refers to the color of the goldplating)
Rich Orange
Plated
Treble Plated"

 

[Dug]

They are civilian flat buttons from the early-mid 1800s.

Here's a write up by CannonBallGuy on an older thread that provides some more info on these types of flat buttons:

"Ones with a raised-lettering backmark date from approximately 1790 to the very-early-1840s, and ones with indented backmarking start about 1810.

The majority of the brass 1-piece flatbuttons we dig in the US were imported here from Britain, because the young US button-making industry was unable to mass-produce them until the 1820s.

The War-Of-1812 caused US consumers to dislike British-made products, so American button-makers sometimes included an American eagle in the button's backmark to signify that it was a US-made button. (British-made ones often have a British crown in the backmark.)

At that time, the word gilt in a button's backmark referred strictly to gold-plating... and the word plated meant silver-plating.

Also at that time, the British had established a set of "Quality" standards regarding the manufacture of metal buttons. Unfortunately, the standards were not strictly enforced, so button makers quickly went to playing fast-and-loose with the Quality ratings. I should mention, the American button manufacturers copied the British markings. So unless a backmark tells a British location (like London) or contains a British spelling (such as "colour" instead of color, a quality-rating in the backmark won't tell you whether the button is British-made or US-made. Some of the many examples of "Quality-Rating" in backmarks are:
Standard Quality
Extra Quality
Fine Quality
Superior Quality
Best Quality
Superfine Quality
Gilt
Extra Gilt
Fine Gilt
Treble Gilt
"Orange Colour" (refers to the color of the goldplating)
Rich Orange
Plated
Treble Plated"

If you look closely at the pictures you will see a seam line on the backside. These are flat two piece buttons.

 

[NoVaRelics]

Thanks for the response Dug and Grasshopper. I looked for a seam under magnification and could not see one. Not to say my eyes are the best either.
Thanks for the write up from CannonBallGuy, With the backmarks stating "Warranted Rich Gold Plate" is there any way to narrow down manufacturing date, where or possible use? There was a lot of CW history on this property and I would assume they came from a CW uniform. However, as I stated previously this property has history including early 1800's houses and foundations, an early 1700's mill, CW bivouac's on it and battlefields just north and south of it.

 

[huntsman53]

You might try contacting Harry Ridgeway at the link below as he has numerous Civil War as well as Pre & Post Civil War Buttons catalogued and deals in them.

The Civil War Relicman, Harry Ridgeway

Catalog of button backmarks

 

[grasshopper]

If you look closely at the pictures you will see a seam line on the backside. These are flat two piece buttons.

Maybe, I couldn't tell if it was a seam or just an indented ring similar to the one around the shank.

And NoVa, I would venture a guess that these are probably not Civil War related. They're actually probably earlier than that.

They more than likely came off of a civilian's clothing. They are very common at old sites. I've been hunting a late 1700s site recently and I'm up to over 100 generic plain buttons like yours.

It's a great sign that there was activity there and hopefully you'll find some early 1800s coins nearby

 

[Whyme]

Nice buttons.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Nice Job!