When a button find might answer some history...

Eastender

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Mar 30, 2020
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A metal detector find I made last fall where I live in East Hampton, NY may have answered a question concerning some early New York City history. Near it i found an 1800 Draped Bust Cent and several colonial-era artifacts including an ax head.

At a depth of nearly 7" I discovered this gilt button marked "Hallock & Moore No. 287 Pearl St. New York." Pearl Street is quite prominent in NYC history. It was first founded by Dutch in the early to mid-1600's. It referred to the rich oyster beds found off of the city. Pearl St. marked the eastern shoreline of Manhattan, from Battery Park to Tribeca, and has been reconfigured many times throughout history. Buildings and stretches of it are historically protected.

Searching the web I could not find any info regarding the manufacture of this button. But on the Forgotten New York website I found an article called "Walking Pearl Street" (July 3, 2016). This line caught my eye:

"One of the shortest streets in a part of town that has a number of them, Moore Street runs for one block between Water and Pearl north of Whitehall. There was no obvious “Moore” in the area in area records in the colonial era it could have been named for, so tradition holds that it was named for the many ship moorings along Queen Street."

Maybe this street was named for the clothier\button maker identified here and the business lost to history? A craftsman producing gold buttons and handling specie was most likely prominent. I wrote to them and never received a reply. My haul of buttons over the past 8 months. tres59.jpg tres60.jpg
 

steelheadwill

Gold Member
Jan 2, 2010
6,689
715
New Castle NH.
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Brain eyes ears and nose
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Sounds likely to me.
Did you know that Captain William Kidd lived on Pearl st after his marriage to a very wealthy and beautiful young widow?
He was a war hero and one of the most respected members of New York society.
Lured into an almost impossible mission to capture pirate loot by wealthy lords and merchants, not to mention King William III, (who signed his commission for 10% of the proceeds), he ended up being hung and gibbetted despite much evidence of his innocence, rendering his memory to the 'Most Vile and infamous Pyrate' in western history. Sad story.
 

Trezurehunter

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Mar 22, 2003
17,860
21,408
Illinois / Oklahoma
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That is a nice collection of buttons for the last 8 months. I hope they respond to your inquiry.
 

Oct 5, 2014
31,886
35,424
Massachusetts
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Garrett: AT Pro, AT Gold & Infinium; Minelab: Explorer SE, II; Simplex; Tesoro: Tejon & Outlaw; White's: V3i
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Awesome button recoveries! :occasion14:
 

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