3 items I found at an 1836 home in southern Ohio

[mr helton]

Hi, I haven't posted here in a couple years but went out the other day and found some real nice goodies and was hoping for an ID on some of them!

I didn't see anything in the rules here about multiple items in a post so I'll assume that's ok.

Item #1 - Some sort of eagle stamp. It's about an inch across and is very heavy almost as if it were made of carbide based on weight.




Item #2 - My brother in law thinks this is a Civil War infantry button, but I really don't know how to tell how old it is exactly. Any thoughts? It's flattened out




Item #3 - My dad found this and had no idea how cool it was! My brother in law thinks it's from the 1830s but I can't tell personally. I was pretty surprised at how heavy the thing was.

 

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[Son&Son]

The eagle stamp is a printing block from a letterpress printing press. Made from lead. Great finds, I'm not much up on military history but I suspect other members can fill you in on the plate (also filled with lead from the back, that's why it is so heavy) and button.

 

[mr helton]

Thank you! It looks like you're spot on with the block from the printing press. I don't believe it's made out of lead though, because it's much harder, but that's definitely what it appears to be!

 

[fyrffytr1]

Your button's Superior Quality backmark was a product of the Steele & Johnson company. They were in business from 1852-1856. Sold to Waterbury Jewelry Co. in 1856 but reorganized in 1858 and lasted until 1920. That backmark was then used by the Waterbury button co. The eagle on the front is of the 1854 to around 1867 time period. If you can make out a letter in the shield then it would date from about 1840-1854.

 

[Fullstock]

The 1839 Pattern baby US buckle is a great find, you are on an excellent spot!

 

[mr helton]

Great info, really appreciate the help!

We called the owner again (tracked him down to virginia) and after telling him what we found there, he was super excited and said we are welcome to have at it any time we are in town again! He told us that the house was the local judge's house and that general grant stayed in that house for a time to be a match teacher in town but then the war started and never actually started teaching. I can't verify that part of course, but it's interesting regardless!

Edit: I forgot to say that there's an I in the middle of the button, visible in person but I can't get it to show in the picture with the lighting I had.

 

[A2coins]

Great relicks that buckle is really cool good luck keep us posted on the finds sounds like fun....Tommy

 

[A2coins]

Welcome also from Ann Arbor MI Tommy

 

[firemanphob]

the printing set blocks were lead but had tin or antimony(?) added to make the lead harder.

 

[yaxthri]

The printing block is a very nice find.
Any town archives or library near where you found this? Maybe you can find an old newspaper or patriotic leaflet with that eagle printed on it...