Another difficult button ID

[Tigerdude]

Found this pretty gold gilted flat button with a bunch of typical flat buttons. Has NEW YORK on the reverse. Also has the letters"LEVY" followed some messed up letters and ends with"OUNS". Now the "L" in LEVY could be a D or DEVY. I am concerned to use anything caustic to further clean the reverse for fear of removing the gilt but, man, that Louisiana dirt is like glue.

 

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[Dug]

I see a reference to a Bernard Levy NY as a button maker in the appendix of McGuinn & Bazelon but nothing on him.

RE Louisiana peanut butter dirt, I feel your pain as I have dug some of the cane fields when I was stationed there ten years ago and you almost have to play detective on everything you dig.

 

[DCMatt]

 

[Tigerdude]

DCMatt, I see the "ouns" in the bottom left negative. Looks like my button. Any info?

 

[DCMatt]

Levy Henriques
New York

Merchant
26 Cedar St. Ny, NY 1832-33

 

[DCMatt]

In the 18th & early 19th C. it was not uncommon for a merchant to put his name on the buttons of clothing and other merchandise sold in his shop.

 

[DCMatt]

DCMatt, I see the "ouns" in the bottom left negative. Looks like my button. Any info?

That IS your button. I just washed it a little in Photo Shop.

DCMatt

 

[Tigerdude]

haha. you fooled me.