Button Age?

[coinman123]

Hello, This is one of four buttons that I have found around my property since I moved in June. The other buttons were typical tombac, backmarked, or two piece buttons that I could easily put a date on. The one is a little interesting though, the shank looks odd, and it is slightly concave, with an interesting design on the front. My house is from around the 1740's, and was built by a Lieutenant in the French and Indian War, who was also the head of the town's militia. His son was a private in the the revolutionary war, and lived in my house until around 1820. I am just wondering when this button is from, so I can guess who probably dropped it.

Also, It is pretty small, a bit smaller than a dime.

 

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[coinman123]

I don't see any solder attaching the shank to the button.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

It appears to be a 1-piece cast brass button, dating from the late-1700s through the early 1800s. You might want to clean out its back, to see if there is any trace of a backmark, and perhaps some gold gilt.

 

[coinman123]

It appears to be a 1-piece cast brass button, dating from the late-1700s through the early 1800s. You might want to clean out its back, to see if there is any trace of a backmark, and perhaps some gold gilt.

Thanks, I am wondering if this source is reliable at all. It calls the 1-piece cast brass buttons much older than most sources, and what you say, and calls drilled shank buttons much newer than what other sources say.

http://www.daacs.org/wp-content/uploads/buttons.pdf

I don't see any trace of backmarks or gilt unfortunately.

 

[diggummup]

I think it is a sleeve button. Can you take a photo that is straight on showing the base of the shank as close as possible. Looks Colonial to me.

edit- Guess I waited too long to reply lol. Flower, possibly a dandelion?

 

[coinman123]

I think it is a sleeve button. Can you take a photo that is straight on showing the base of the shank as close as possible. Looks Colonial to me.

edit- Guess I waited too long to reply lol. Flower, possibly a dandelion?

Thanks! I was wondering why it was so small, makes sense being a sleeve button. The flower does look like a dandelion, maybe a daisy, it is very corroded though and hart to tell.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

I don't know what to think of the DAACS site's historical buttons info... some of it is accurate and some isn't.

In my opinion, your button definitely has an "applied" shank, not cast along with the rest of the button's body. Sometimes the "brazing" of the loop's attachment is nearly invisible.

 

[coinman123]

I don't know what to think of the DAACS site's historical buttons info... some of it is accurate and some isn't.

In my opinion, your button definitely has an "applied" shank, not cast along with the rest of the button's body. Sometimes the "brazing" of the loop's attachment is nearly invisible.

It makes sense if the brazing is nearly invisible, I don't see a casting seam on the button itself. The seam is also slightly off center, unlike my completely cast pewter button. It is probably from around 1770 to the very early 1800's if it is a brazed shank, maybe from the earlier part of the range based on the design.

 

[relic lover]

Wow I have dug that exact button. It has always been one of my favorites. I always assumed it was early 1800s but I have dug a lot of colonial buttons on the same site. So I have no real way of dating it myself.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[steelheadwill]

After seeing your button I was eager to let you know that I have an exact duplicate, now there are 3 known examples.
Apologies for knocking your button out of the 'unique' category, now it's an r-7. In coin parlance anyway.
They are nicely made buttons too, thick planchette, often the brazed alpha or A shank design is quite weak, my example also retains its shank, that would lead me to think omega shank which increases shank attachment strength considerably, though it would likely be visible.
this is not the page I wanted, (no conjectural design dates) but it is helpful.
BackTypes 2

 

[steelheadwill]

got on the mainframe to post that button image I spoke of, seems this buttons closest relative is block #7, 1785-1800, I think the link posted previously, (or it may have been another webpage I looked aT) said the image of button back was from a Jacksonian type button, (popular in early 19th C) and come to consider, this dandelion bears a few similarities to Jacksonians, small size for one.

 

[coinman123]

got on the mainframe to post that button image I spoke of, seems this buttons closest relative is block #7, 1785-1800, I think the link posted previously, (or it may have been another webpage I looked aT) said the image of button back was from a Jacksonian type button, (popular in early 19th C) and come to consider, this dandelion bears a few similarities to Jacksonians, small size for one.
View attachment 1479446

Thanks! That looks right on, I am going to save that chart, going to be very helpful in the future.

 

[steelheadwill]

Thanks! That looks right on, I am going to save that chart, going to be very helpful in the future.

glad you like, I wish I could credit the author personally, I cannot locate the website.

 

[steelheadwill]

There's an awesome page for buckle info I know about too, try searching cj's buckle page I think...