What can you tell me about this Great Seal Button?

[turtlefoot13]

Okay, I know that GS buttons were used from 1902 forward. I also know that every GS button that I have seen has a different style of back than this one. I have no doubts that it is real and not a fashion piece. It was found with other military items including collar insignia and a "driver" insignia.

Has anyone seen a GS with a back like this? Any idea when this type of back was used? Any info is truly appreciated.

Thanks,
Doug

 

[mamabear]

Nice find, sorry I don't know anything about it.

 

[BosnMate]

Nice find, sorry I don't know anything about it.

I agree to all of the above.

 

[cudamark]

You may have to clean the back a bit to see if it has a maker's mark on there somewhere. Some where blank but most have the manufacturers name. From what little I've gleaned, the raised rim on the front of yours indicates it not one of the ones made in the first few years. I found one recently too and had to research mine. If you do a thread search here, you'll find that a couple of other members have quite a bit of info on those buttons. I think BigCypressHunter is one of them. He's compiled quite a list of them.

 

[fyrffytr1]

It looks like it has black paint on it. That would date it between 1910 and 1923. Maybe a heavy coat button?
And, if you scroll about halfway down this page: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/112828-great-seal-button-backmarks-help-4.html You will see one like yours. Maybe BigCypressHunter can help you with it.

 

[turtlefoot13]

It looks like it has black paint on it. That would date it between 1910 and 1923. Maybe a heavy coat button?
And, if you scroll about halfway down this page: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/112828-great-seal-button-backmarks-help-4.html You will see one like yours. Maybe BigCypressHunter can help you with it.

I washed it up a bit and it does appear to have black paint on it.

Thanks for the information!
Doug

 

[rockermike17368]

Those are post 1965 Army buttons made by Waterbury Co.'s.

 

[osage express]

Ok hope i get this one right.The black was added in 1923.The raised rim on face was started in 1910.The button itself came out in 1902.Hope this helps.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Rockermike is much more knowledgeable about the Great Seal buttons than I am. So, I will go with his ID. I thought the back looked modern but the black enamel threw me off. I understood the black to be between 1910 and 1923. Hopefully Mike will educate us on the subject.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Osage Express wrote:
> Ok hope i get this one right.
> The black was added in 1923.
> The raised rim on face was started in 1910.
> The ["Great Seal" US Army] button itself came out in 1902.

Your statements are all correct except for the first one. The "black finish" on Great Seal buttons ENDED in 1923.

For any readers here who don't already know:
Black PAINT is not what was used on the early-1900s Great Seal buttons. The black coloring is reported to be a "black finish" (so I've always used exactly those words), which seems to be something like an anodized finish. I've seen a few buttons which have black paint on their back... but that's not the same thing as having "black finish" on the button's FRONT... which is what we look for to time-date a Great Seal button.

Turtlefoot13's Great Seal button is an unusual variation in which the eagle-&-stars emblem was a "cutout" that was manufactured separately and then applied onto the button's body. Some had a dark cloth background behind the applied cutout emblem. See buttons GI-103A, B, C, & D in the button-book by Alphaeus H. Albert, on page 42. (Also button GI-104.)

Rockermike17368 has done in-depth study on US Army Great Seal buttons and has been writing a reference-book on that subject. He also has a very impressive personal collection of them. He has contributed valuable information in a discussion about Great Seal button-backmarks here at TreasureNet. It is a very long discussion-thread... see the last 2 pages of it to find Rockermike17368's contributions. Go here:
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/112828-great-seal-button-backmarks-help.html

Rockermike17368 knows more about Great Seal buttons (and time-dating them) than I do, so I recommend that questions about them be directed to him. In my view, he is the top expert on them here at TreasureNet.