✅ SOLVED Box of buttons

[Skrimpy]

Found a tin of buttons at my mother's house that used to belong to my great grandmother. Mom was letting the kids play in the buttons and knowing that Nanna was born prior to 1900 I thought I better look through these things before letting them play longer. I dug through them and one button jumped out at me. There were several two piece buttons several of which were vintage Boy Scout buttons. Here is the one that I think stands out from the rest. Anyone know anything about it? Is it military? Is it just government? Date of manufacture? Is it Civil War era?

Backmark reads, "Superior Quality, made in England"
Front has what appears to be part of the New York State seal and says "Excelsior".

Also, I noticed that early 1900s buttons can be worth a few bucks a piece. There seems to be about 500 of these things. If I wanted to sell them, where would I go? Antique shop? Where could I find someone that might want them?

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

That button is from the first half of the 20th-Century. It is shown in the button-book by Alphaeus H. Albert as the final/latest/newest version in the New York seal button series. It is listed as button # NY-33A. The book calls it a "Later" New York State seal button, to distinguish it from the 19th-century ones ...and also says, "There are a number of varieties of these later New York State seal buttons. It is known that many of them have been and are being used by municipal employees rather than by the armed forces of the State."

 

[Skrimpy]

Awesome! Thanks for the help!

 

[Skrimpy]

Funny. I work for the state. Maybe I'll wear them to work!