can anyone help date this flat button?

[hollowpointred]

i found this earlier this month at bergies swimming hole. he has found some colonial era artifacts and coins there and i was wondering if this button is also from that timeframe. does anyone have any thoughts on it?

 

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[PBK]

Late 18th or early 19th century. Hard to tell what type of metal it's made from. Most are either copper or an alloy called tombac. Tombac is generally thicker and heavier, and is also somewhat brittle.

 

[Elad]

Late 18th or early 19th century. Hard to tell what type of metal it's made from. Most are either copper or an alloy called tombac. Tombac is generally thicker and heavier, and is also somewhat brittle.

That's not entirely true, regarding tombac buttons. The alloy composition can make tombac buttons lightweight, thin - but strong (not brittle - I have yet to see a brittle tombac dug(?)) - and very low on the conductive scale.

On the other hand, probably due to different alloy mixture values throughout time, or perhaps type of metals used in the recipe, tombac buttons can be heavy as well. It is my belief that the heavier alloy tombacs are from a later date(19th century). So, the general rule is the lighter your tombac, the older it probably is.

I have dug several tombac buttons that have circular marks on the obverse where it was spun during creation(like yours) which have a slight concave shape when looking at the back. Also, dug ones, absent of crud, appear dull gray and are very smooth to the touch. (Aluminum jelly can be used to clean tombacs and will also bring the metal sheen back)

Your picture of the back is blurry, but through experience I would dare to say that what you have there is indeed a tombac with a decorated front. Very nice find!