Eagle Button, railroad key, silver thimble?

[Buck(PA)]

Hey guys my first post on here... First pic here is what seems to be a civil war button? It's an eagle with its head facing left and has what seems to be some sort of branch with leaves in the right foot and a spear in the left foot... just wondering the age on it. There is no back to it, its just hollow.

Size Comparrison

The next picture is what I believe is an old railroad key? The front says Willams.Page & Co. and the other side says B.C. & F R R. Just wondering maybe an age on the key also.

Front:

Size Comparison:

Back:

The final pic is a silver thimble, it has pictures of little houses stamped into it on the outside and a few other neat designs, and has the number 10 stamped on it.

Another Shot:

And Another:

Also on the inside of the thimble it has a makers mark which looks like this.

Thanks for all the help guys! HH

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Cry Of The Eagle: History And Legends Of The Cherokee Indians And Their Buried Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[Bigcypresshunter]

The key thing might be a 19th century part of an old railway oil burner from the B.C.& F. Railroad..

http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2896013

 

[Montana Jim]

I cannot ID the button, but, have some thoughts on it.

It's eagle design and "look" is 1790ish.

Resembles the 1902 - present US Army great seal design, but more colonial than modern.

The scroll in it's mouth makes it seem diplomatic, official, or otherwise just patriotic, but not military.

The shield has the look of early to mid 1800s military feel and design.

:P

The thimble is awesome!

 

[chipveres]

Big Cy is right about the "B C & F" piece being from a railway oil lamp. It's from the Boston, Clinton & Fitchburg Railroad; they were in business as such from 1867 til 1883. (according to Wikipedia)

Chip V.

 

[DCMatt]

Looks like Chip beat me to it!

B C & F = Boston Clinton & Fitchburg Railroad

Very nice thimble, too!

DCMatt

 

[RPG]

I cannot ID the button, but, have some thoughts on it.

It's eagle design and "look" is 1790ish.

Resembles the 1902 - present US Army great seal design, but more colonial than modern.

The scroll in it's mouth makes it seem diplomatic, official, or otherwise just patriotic, but not military.

The shield has the look of early to mid 1800s military feel and design.

:P

The thimble is awesome!

I agree with MJ. This button has features that are old and new. It's like there's something missing other than the back. Maybe next time you hit the site it came from you will find another with a back.

You said the back was hollow. Can you give us a pic of it?

Nice thimble.

 

[PBK]

Welcome to TreasureNet... it's great to have you with us!

The mark on the thimble appears to be that of Simons Brothers & Co. of Philadelphia, a leading manufacturer of quality thimbles. They reportedly used this mark as early as the 1880's but did not actually register it until 1907.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I cannot ID the button, but, have some thoughts on it.

It's eagle design and "look" is 1790ish.

Resembles the 1902 - present US Army great seal design, but more colonial than modern.

The scroll in it's mouth makes it seem diplomatic, official, or otherwise just patriotic, but not military.

The shield has the look of early to mid 1800s military feel and design.

:P

At first I thought it was a colonial eagle but looking at it closer, it looks like a post 1902 Great Seal button without the stars on top. If you could, try to clean it and post another pic. Use outdoor light and a darker background.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Big Cy is right about the "B C & F" piece being from a railway oil lamp. It's from the Boston, Clinton & Fitchburg Railroad; they were in business as such from 1867 til 1883. (according to Wikipedia)

Chip V.

And oil lamp? It looks like a broken key to a RR lock to me.


By the way, thats a Great thimble you found. I am Green with envy!

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

And oil lamp? It looks like a broken key to a RR lock to me.


By the way, thats a Great thimble you found. I am Green with envy!

The only thing I could find on Williams, Page & Co. ... Boston, Mass, was that they made oil lamps for railway cars. But I havent found a match. You may be correct. Im allowed to change my mind and I now think its a brass RR key. http://www.antiquemystique.com/pages/5330_jpg.htm

 

[BuckleBoy]

And oil lamp? It looks like a broken key to a RR lock to me.


By the way, thats a Great thimble you found. I am Green with envy!

The only thing I could find on Williams, Page & Co. ... Boston, Mass, was that they made oil lamps for railway cars. But I havent found a match. I couldnt find a matching key either.

Could be. I was just looking at the style of the loop with the company name on one side and the railroad name on the other. I will look at oil lamps to see if I can find a loop style "turner" that is similar, from any railroad.


-Buckles

 

[DCMatt]

I found a pic of this militia canteen (c. 1815) that has a similar style eagle on it. Could this be a militia button?

DCMatt

 

[Don in SJ]

IMHO the button, since it has the ribbon in the beak like the Great Seal button is 1900's, that is my wag...
A photo of the back, regardless of what is there or not there would also help, maybe...........

Don

 

[Buck(PA)]

Thanks for all the imput and help guys... so I took some pics of the button and the back of it again. I'm not sure if they are going to help out anymore but its worth a try.

Back:

I also sent my pictures to a man who is a expert in buttons. Here is his website: http://www.civilwarbuttons.com/dragoons.htm

This is what he said about the button: "it is WWI vintage and is to my understanding some kind of auxilary military button." Does this seem accurate? Thanks HH

 

[Snowmansta]

Do you know what it is yet if not I do.

Thanks for all the imput and help guys... so I took some pics of the button and the back of it again. I'm not sure if they are going to help out anymore but its worth a try.

Back:

I also sent my pictures to a man who is a expert in buttons. Here is his website: William Leigh: Dragoons, Riflemen and Navy Buttons

This is what he said about the button: "it is WWI vintage and is to my understanding some kind of auxilary military button." Does this seem accurate? Thanks HH

 

[Snowmansta]

 

[sprailroad]

A "Barrel" key to a Rail Road lock. Most likely a Switch Lock. Even though it's broken, neat little piece of history to have.

 

[Keith Jackson]

And since I didn't see anyone mention it, I guess I will throw in that the '10' on the thimble is probably the size.