Button id

[Ripcon]

Here's a button I found at a site that saw lots of camps during the civil war and also was a railroad depot and a few stores. It has the word AGENT on a horizontal lined field and a flower above the letters. Unfortunately, the back is missing. Any idea what this button went to or how old it is based on its design ? Is it military or associated with the railroad in any way? Thanks for any help you can give.

 

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[digging440yrs]

I believe you found a RR station agent button, very cool ---

 

[Ripcon]

Thanks Digging440yrs! Any idea of the age of this railroad button?

 

[Old Pueblo]

Awesome. Is this a clothing button, like on a coat, or more like a badge?

 

[Itsmine]

Ticket agent?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Old Pueblo asked:
"Is this a clothing button, like on a coat, or more like a badge?"

It was worn on the uniform of a railroad agent most probably a ticket agent, as Itsmine guessed. The largest American button-maker, the Waterbury Button Company, has a webpage listing the many categories of metal buttons it manufactures. Among the categories listed there is "Career Uniform" buttons. As an example of that: metal buttons for use on the uniform coat of hotel staff, showing the logo of the hotel, such as Hilton. The "Career Uniform" category at the Waterbury Button website has an amazing range of occupations listed, such as airlines, railroads, cruise lines, etc, etc. Go here and select Career Uniforms:
Waterbury Button - Uniform Buttons, Fashion Buttons, Metal Buttons, Brass Buttons. Collectibles - Civil War Buttons, Titanic, Blazer Button Sets. - Waterbury Button
It's worth bookmarking that website, because many-many buttons have gotten identified here in the What-Is-It forum by scrolling through the pages of the Waterbury Button Company's online catalog. In addition to Military and Police and Career Uniform buttons, a lot of civilian blazer/sportscoat buttons with fancy-looking crests and emblems are shown there.