✅ SOLVED A - B - S Button Help

[HuntinDog]

I know there are a lot of button ID questions out there and I look at all of them.
It will help my ID if and when I find one of the one that are posted.
Thanks for always helping all of us not so informed ones....

Found this brass two piece button along an old creek bed in the California gold foothills.
As you can see it has an "A" @ 9 o'clock, a "B" @ 12 o'clock and an "S" @ 3 o'clock with the great seal eagle in the middle.
It's a two piece brass button with a steel back and wire loop. The back is to far gone to make anything out on it.

From my research (which is lacking) I find that it may be an American Boy Scouts (1910-1917) button, but I can't find any images to validate that.
They changed to United States Boy Scouts in 1913, so I'm thinking a range of 3 years.

I'm hoping that some of the Button Gurus out there can confirm this and give me a rarity and maybe some more places to research.
Value is not that important...although nice to know, it will go into the treasure button collection.

Thank you for taking a look and any help.
HH

 

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[creskol]

I had heard that it stood for the Army Broadcasting Service .. but like you and the Boy Scouts, I haven't been able to prove that theory.

 

[nhbenz]

In the section of the following link, note the description (no picture though) of the buttons in the section about jackets. I think you're correct.
U.S. boy scout uniforms -- American Boy Scouts vintage uniform

Edit: my computer won't open the image of the jacket that's supposed to be on that page. If anyone else has better luck, what do the buttons look like?

 

[fyrffytr1]

From what little I have been able to glean from the sparse information on the net I believe that this is an "American Boy Scouts" uniform button. The ABS was a para-military organization so it stands to reason that the button would have an eagle motif.
I wasn't able to open the pictures either. I did a search for William randolph Hearst's American Boy Scouts to find what little info I could.

 

[HuntinDog]

Thank you for the replies.
The web site nhbenz linked looks like an information filled site, but they want $25 to view and were last updated in 2004.
fyrffyr1 I also searched W.R.Hearst and the American Boy Scouts and came up with the same info, but no pictures. Darn it.
Creskol Do you have any other info on the Army Broadcasting Service line of thinking?
I'm still hoping that someone with a button book can find this one and confirm what it is and the rarity.
Thanks again for all the help...

HH

 

[duggap]

For your consideration, the military don't usually get a designation on the button. It is usually a collar disc. I like the scouts organization better.

 

[Bramblefind]

I think the ABS button sounds right from the description provided by NHBenz. Though I found that some people think these are American Bible Society buttons - it comes up here:

PLEASE help ID this Button - Friendly Metal Detecting Forums

And here:

Military History: button, american bible society, button collectors

I saw these type buttons as the American Boy Scout buttons listed on ebay. Which looks like the same shield as in this uniform patch. I can't make out the buttons... maybe there were 2 version?

https://sites.google.com/site/postcardsofbsacompetitors/home/a-b-s

 

[Bramblefind]

This site has the American Boy Scouts buttons that look like the ebay examples I posted above-

www.VirtualScoutMuseum.com

 

[fyrffytr1]

I think Bramblefind is on to something with the American Bible Society idea. Since they are still in existence maybe you could contact them. Let us know if you do and they are able to tell you anything.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

As Fyyfftyr1 mentioned, contacting the "headquarters" of an organization can sometimes result in confirmation of an ID for a button or emblem. So, you might want to contact the Boy Scouts headquarters and American Bible Society headquarters.

I have some additional thoughts about your button. It might be a "School button." The button-book by Alphaeus H. Albert has a section showing "Schools & Universities" buttons... which contains six different school-buttons that have the Great Seal on them, along with the school's name or INITIALS. Your button says "ABS" -- perhaps the S stands for School.

 

[HuntinDog]

CannonballGuy
I did contact the American Bible Society headquarters Historic Library Reference Desk and they responded with,
"I am truly sorry I cannot help you identify your button. We never had uniforms".

Also there are no schools or universities anywhere near here with A. B. as initials.

So I'm left to deduce that this button is an American Boy Scouts button.
I'm thinking that with so little information on this button that it could be a fairly rare button.

Nhbenz's link U.S. boy scout uniforms -- American Boy Scouts vintage uniform gives a very good description of the buttons on the uniforms.
Unfortunately you need to join to view the pictures and than they may not show the buttons.

So, I'm going with American Boy Scouts button.

Thanks for all the help.
If anyone finds a picture confirming one way or the other please let me know.

 

[fyrffytr1]

I went back to the site nhbenz linked us to and re-read the button description. It matches huntindog's button but does not match the picture posted by Bramblefind. Could there be two variaties of this short lived button? Here is the description:
[h=3]Jacket[/h] The uniform had no official shirt that I know of. The uniform had a long jacket (figure 2). It buttoned at the collar so whatever shirt was worn would not be visible. It was a long jacket extending well below the waistline. The jacket is 28 inch chest, 21 inch sleeve and the back of the jacket is 25 inches long. The collar is in the style of a World War I uniform. All the buttons on the shirt are marked ABS around the depiction of an Eagle, the front four buttons are 3/4 of inch and pocket,sleeve and shoulder buttons are 1/2 inch. The jacket has four front buttons and four pockets with flaps and buttoned. The end of the sleeves have one button.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

My computer's antivirus program won't let me view the "American Boy Scouts vintage uniform" webpage. But Fyrffytr1's transcription of the description at that website gives us part of the ID-answer. It says the "front" buttons are 3/4-inch (approximately 19mm) in diameter, and the other buttons on the ABS uniform are 1/2-inch (slightly less than 13mm) in diameter. HuntinDog, what is the exact diameter of the button you found?