Button, I think

[cgdigger]

Hi all. What're your thoughts on this? It has matching sets of 4 wreath/garland things that look like they'd be the fronds on a palm tree or something, except there's no tree. Whatever else may have been on the button has disappeared. It's big, about 1 1/4" across. I'm pretty sure it's a button because the back, which is otherwise plain, has a shank mounting spot right in the center.

 

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[cgdigger]

93 looks, no ideas? C'mon, you experts!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

In another post, you asked me to take a look at this button and give you my thoughts about it. Unfortunately the photo is too distant for me to make out what you say you see on the button's front. Please try to provide some well-focused closeup photos.

Meanwhile, from your description, saying the button's diameter is 1-&-1/4-inches, and its front shows "matching sets of 4 wreath/garland things that look like they'd be the fronds on a palm tree or something, except there's no tree"... it sounds like you've got a hand-engraved "Dandy button" from the second half of the 1700s or very-early 1800s.

In case you don't already know... a "Dandy" was a man of some wealth from that time-period, who preferred to show off his wealth with fancy clothing, even including the buttons, which were gold-plated brass, larger than normal, and generally had a fancy engraved design on them. Such a man is what the singer means in the song "I'm a yankee doodle Dandy."

 

[cgdigger]

Here ya go. This shows the "wreath" things pretty well, plus a bowtie/ribbon thing engraved in the middle. Hopefully these pictures are more "dandy" than the previous ones.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Thank you for making and posting the well-focused closeup photos... they do confirm, it's a hand-engraved "Dandy" button, latter 1700s to very early 1800s.

 

[cgdigger]

Thanks again, CBG. Really appreciate your expertise. Best regards, Andy