🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Button ID

[Bushido Dude]

Dug in NC. Unsure of what the eagle with the starburst on the shield means.

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

You did not say whether your button's back is iron or brass. The only other one I've seen with that specific emblem (spread-winged eagle with sunburst in shield) was what button-collectors call a "False 3-Piece" button, with an iron back or a "pierced-dome" self-shank back. It is "false" because it is a 2-piece button made to inexpensively imitate a 3-piece button. The brass front is stamped to look like it has an applied rim (the "3rd piece") but it actually doesn't. It is not from the civil war era. False 3-piece ironbacked buttons became popular in the early-1900s... but some are still being made. The modern ones are Fashion-industry buttons.

 

[Bushido Dude]

You did not say whether your button's back is iron or brass. The only other one I've seen with that specific emblem (spread-winged eagle with sunburst in shield) was what button-collectors call a "False 3-Piece" button, with an iron back or a "pierced-dome" self-shank back. It is "false" because it is a 2-piece button made to inexpensively imitate a 3-piece button. The brass front is stamped to look like it has an applied rim (the "3rd piece") but it actually doesn't. It is not from the civil war era. False 3-piece ironbacked buttons became popular in the early-1900s... but some are still being made. The modern ones are Fashion-industry buttons.

 

[villagenut]

I think you got a great civil war button IMO....possibly confederate.....w.wildt and son

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Well, why didn't you say your button has a "W. Wildt & Son Richmond VA" backmark in the first place.

Your button's front does not appear in the Albert button-book, nor in its Supplement, nor in Dan Binder's "Civil War Collector's Guide to Albert's Button Book," nor in the Tice button-book. (I double-checked Tice's book a few minutes ago, to make sure my memory is correct.) However, the Wildt & Son Richmond backmark is strictly civil war period, produced only in 1862-65. So, Villagenut is right, you've found a GREAT civil war Confederate button -- one which needs to be published in the North/South Trader's Civil War magazine, ASAP. Send an email with your front & back photos to publisher at nstcivilwar.com

I should mention, regarding the statements in my previous post about False 3-Piece" buttons. Although it's true that false-3-piece buttons (a.k.a. false-Staff buttons shown in the photos I posted) are almost entirely 20th-Century buttons, apparently an extremely small number was made during the civil war by Wildt, because a false-3-piece wartime Virginia State Seal Militia Officer button does exist, and it has the W. Wildt & Son backmark. It is the only known specimen. Your "eagle-with-(presumably-NC)-sunburst-in-shield" is now the second Wildt false-3-piece button to have come to light.

 

[crashbandicoot]

How cool is that.You have one of only two known to exist.Nice!

 

[Bushido Dude]

Well, why didn't you say your button has a "W. Wildt & Son Richmond VA" backmark in the first place.

Your button's front does not appear in the Albert button-book, nor in its Supplement, nor in Dan Binder's "Civil War Collector's Guide to Albert's Button Book," nor in the Tice button-book. (I double-checked Tice's book a few minutes ago, to make sure my memory is correct.) However, the Wildt & Son Richmond backmark is strictly civil war period, produced only in 1862-65. So, Villagenut is right, you've found a GREAT civil war Confederate button -- one which needs to be published in the North/South Trader's Civil War magazine, ASAP. Send an email with your front & back photos to publisher at nstcivilwar.com

I should mention, regarding the statements in my previous post about False 3-Piece" buttons. Although it's true that false-3-piece buttons (a.k.a. false-Staff buttons shown in the photos I posted) are almost entirely 20th-Century buttons, apparently an extremely small number was made during the civil war by Wildt, because a false-3-piece wartime Virginia State Seal Militia Officer button does exist, and it has the W. Wildt & Son backmark. It is the only known specimen. Your "eagle-with-(presumably-NC)-sunburst-in-shield" is now the second Wildt false-3-piece button to have come to light.

Thank you. Yes I was very lazy in my posting. I myself was going through all my books and forums trying to ID it myself and couldn't seem to pin it down. It's not a personal find it was posted on the NC metal detecting group lastnight and after it stumped me for a few hours I figured I'd give it a go on here. I passed the info along to the digger and also invited him to TNet (so our ranks grow some more)