Eagle button - how old?

[thrillathahunt]

Dug at a 1920's era homesite...I don't think this is all that old..In fact, I don't even think it is military. What do you all think?

 

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[duggap]

The front of the button looks like the civilwar era eagle buttons, but the shank in the back (or lack there of) makes me believe it is much newer. If that be the case it would not likely be military as they used the great seal button from 1900 until present.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

When I clicked the "Post" button, I got a notification that a new reply had been posted (by Duggap) while I was typing this one. Duggap gives a much briefer version of what I'm saying (below), but I'll still post mine, without any changes, because perhaps some readers here might not already know the additional information.

That particular US Army enlisted-man's eagle-button emblem was first adopted in 1854, and was issued by the Army to its troops until a slightly different emblem in 1875.

Despite my history of being a civil war relic digger and dealer for over 35 years, and having personally handled many-many thousands of eagle-buttons, I do not recall previously seeing that particular type of back equipped with the face of an 1854-1874 eagle-button. So, I can only speculate about the various possibilities for your button's very-specific ID. In view of its very unusual back, I do not think it is a Military-issued button. It may be one of the early Reproductions of an eagle button, manufactured in the latter 1800s or perhaps early 1900s, made for use by yankee veterans to replace lost Original buttons for their old uniforms ...because button-manufcaturers had by then ceased making the "typical" 1854-1874 eagle buttons, which had a simple wire-loop shank. I should mention that the type of back on your button is much simpler (and thus, cheaper) to manufacture than the wire-loop back. This cheaper form of button-back became commonplace in the first half of the 20th-century. So, the other possibility is that your button could date as late as the 1961-65 Civil War Centennial. But I think it's probably from a good bit earlier than that.

You might get a more precise time-period ID by emailing the photos to William Leigh, at civilwarbuttons.com

 

[Digger54]

When I clicked the "Post" button, I got a notification that a new reply had been posted (by Duggap) while I was typing this one. Duggap gives a much briefer version of what I'm saying (below), but I'll still post mine, without any changes, because perhaps some readers here might not already know the additional information.

That particular US Army enlisted-man's eagle-button emblem was first adopted in 1854, and was issued by the Army to its troops until a slightly different emblem in 1875.

Despite my history of being a civil war relic digger and dealer for over 35 years, and having personally handled many-many thousands of eagle-buttons, I do not recall previously seeing that particular type of back equipped with the face of an 1854-1874 eagle-button. So, I can only speculate about the various possibilities for your button's very-specific ID. In view of its very unusual back, I do not think it is a Military-issued button. It may be one of the early Reproductions of an eagle button, manufactured in the latter 1800s or perhaps early 1900s, made for use by yankee veterans to replace lost Original buttons for their old uniforms ...because button-manufcaturers had by then ceased making the "typical" 1854-1874 eagle buttons, which had a simple wire-loop shank. I should mention that the type of back on your button is much simpler (and thus, cheaper) to manufacture than the wire-loop back. This cheaper form of button-back became commonplace in the first half of the 20th-century. So, the other possibility is that your button could date as late as the 1961-65 Civil War Centennial. But I think it's probably from a good bit earlier than that.

You might get a more precise time-period ID by emailing the photos to William Leigh, at civilwarbuttons.com

I would have to agree. My first thought seeing the face alone is that the shield being raised versus depressed indicates post civil war. Seeing the back my first thought was modern civilian blazer.