Button ID Help

[D-minus]

I have a button that appears to be plain on the front and says "Imperial Treble Gilt" on the back. It's a solid one-piece button about the size of a penny. I didn't post pics because they don't come out well enough to read.

Anyone know anything about these? Time period, where used, etc.?

TIA

 

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[Kevo_DFX]

Sure sounds like you're talking about a plain brass flat button. It used to have gold gilt on it, thus your backmark. 1780-1810.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

I think I will guess 1800- 1850ish
You gotta post a pic even if its blurry.
Is it pewter?
Copper?


Treble gilt simply means it was "brushed" by a gold solution "3" times.




The first wonderfully sparkly gilt buttons were made in Birmingham between 1797 and 1800. They were elegant, yet affordable. People took to them immediately, and they became the height of fashion. Even the Americans began making gilt buttons by 1810, after stealing the gilding secret from the British!

Actually, the process was a fairly simple one. Five grains of gold per gross (144) of buttons was added to a mixture of mercury, then brushed on the brass buttons, which were then cooked in a furnace. Buttons could be double gilt, triple gilt, and so on, depending on the number of grains or number of brushings used.

 

[vayank54]

Like has been said it is a gold plated one piece civilian button called a flat or coin button. It is more than likely brass and would date from the 1790's to about 1840. It was probably British made. The British didn't start backmarking their buttons until the 1790's the US started about 1810.