Civil War if not older.

[omegared31]

I was out at my Victorian honey hole again today and pulled this lead button out. Not sure much about it but I found a pic of one on Google and it said Civil War era if not older. Can anyone tell me if this information would be about right. Thanks

 

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[omegared31]

Forgot the pic.

 

[digging440yrs]

Looks like a hem weight

 

[omegared31]

So not old?

 

[CRUSADER]

It is a hem or curtain weight but the form did change much from the late 19th C to the mid 20th C.

 

[Scrappy]

Looks like a hem weight

It is a hem or curtain weight but the form did change much from the late 19th C to the mid 20th C.

X2.

 

[omegared31]

There is an older post on here saying that these were also used as buttons?

 

[against the wind]

Yep,, definitely a hem weight. They come round and/or square. They were sewn into a ladies dress
to keep them straight and to avoid embarrassing moments when the wind would blow.
Late 1800's into the nineteen hundreds. Cool find.

 

[CRUSADER]

There is an older post on here saying that these were also used as buttons?

Not read any sources myself, but no reason why you couldn't except your need a stronger thread because they are normally sewn between the fabric, not hanging loose.

 

[parsonwalker]

hey Omega - all the info you've received is correct, but I'd like to add that hem weights exactly like yours were often sewn into CW officer's coats to make them hang straight, especially when falling over your legs when on horseback. We have found several on CW battlefields - exactly like yours (ours were round)

 

[CRUSADER]

hey Omega - all the info you've received is correct, but I'd like to add that hem weights exactly like yours were often sewn into CW officer's coats to make them hang straight, especially when falling over your legs when on horseback. We have found several on CW battlefields - exactly like yours (ours were round)

I'm sure many were CW era, just no easy way to date them properly.

 

[sutphin]

AN OLE HEMMING WEIGHT ....