Civil War Period Button Need help to find it's origins

[smokeythecat]

This is a cadet sized 20 mm button. It has the Scovill's backmark which was used in the 1850's. Conventional wisdom, and the books list it is Episcopal College. The motto in the scroll is "Festina Lente", which in Latin is "Make Haste Slowly".

The crossbar of the sword, if you look carefully is the horizontal part of a Maltese cross.

Now, there were numerous Episcopal colleges in the US in 1861. Somone posted a dug one here on Tnet over a decade ago, I have seen at least one more non dug example for sale within the last year. This one is the button Harry Ridgeway had on his website until I grabbed it.

Has anyone seen this button in real life, dug one, etc? And has anyone looked to see which school it was associated with.

Any help is appreciated.

 

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[CRUSADER]

You are correct that motto was extensively used. This is going to be quite a quest!

I assume they are going on the 'E C' either side of the sword, as well at the motto & motif??

 

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[smokeythecat]

The motto is in the ribbon. Having computer problems today but will try to get it rotated 90 degrees.

 

[Tnmountains]

I was going to suggest Harry Ridgeway as well. Super nice guy. Good luck on the pics. I finally bought a camera that shoots macro. All the difference in the world.

 

[A2coins]

That is a grest display piece Smokey super cool find

 

[smokeythecat]

I have talked to Harry more than once this past week, and got a few non dug buttons from him too!

 

[smokeythecat]

I have a textbook coming today, maybe that will help.

 

[creskol]

I have a textbook coming today, maybe that will help.

Which book did you get?

 

[creskol]

Any more information Smokey?

 

[creskol]

Some information on Elm City:

 

[smokeythecat]

Creskol, great work. NOW...the hard part...does this button go with this school. If all else fails I can drive to Connecticut to look at their state archives. The quest is on, but this is a good, very good possibility. These must be more information just waiting for someone to dig it up.

The book is "Cadets on Campus" and that is the reference from the first quote you put up. That's the only thing on them I could find thus far in that book.

 

[creskol]

Creskol, great work. NOW...the hard part...does this button go with this school. If all else fails I can drive to Connecticut to look at their state archives. The quest is on, but this is a good, very good possibility. These must be more information just waiting for someone to dig it up.

The book is "Cadets on Campus" and that is the reference from the first quote you put up. That's the only thing on them I could find thus far in that book.

Here is a bit more:

 

[smokeythecat]

That's cool! Thanks. Now To try to figure out if the button went to this or somewhere else.

 

[DCMatt]

I was in Fredricksburg, VA at a CW relic show last weekend. A guy had a case full of all kinds of buttons including one exactly like this one. I asked about it and he pulled out his old, tattered button book and it... didn't give us any more info than we already have. The book said something like "E. C. - Thought to be Episcopal Church" So disappointing...

 

[smokeythecat]

Still working on it. I have three possibilities, only three. My gut instinct says the Episcopal college right next door to the Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA. Creskol's school may be a strong possibility and there may be one more school to check out. But it's down to three. Takes a lot of time to research and I may need to go to Connecticut and Alexandria to find out for sure.