✅ SOLVED Eagle Button With Wreath

[Spats]

Please help with this two piece button that I found at an antebellum plantation house site this morning. It measures 22.4 or 22.5 mm and has an eagle with a lined shield. It appears to have a wreath around the outside around the eagle. The back mark (can't read in second picture) is "SCOVILL EXTRA" with another word that I can't read but which contains an "R". Can anyone help with this one? Thanks.

 

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[Bruce R]

I've never, ever found a metal button. Sorry I can't help, but somebody will be along shortly.

 

[BARKER]

Hi; Yours is a Classic Union Army Coat Button from the Civil War. The letter R would stand for Regimental. If it says A it means Artillery. I means Infantry etc. Value is nil due to condition ok. Nice find. PEACE:RONB

 

[nhbenz]

Although I cant make out the words on the back, if the R word is following Extra then It may say Extra Rich
Barker, an R on the front would be Rifleman, not Regimental.
It is Not a "Classic Union Army Coat Button", first because of the wreath mentioned, and there is also text going around inside of the wreath.

 

[fyrffytr1]

I think it may be a school button but couldn't find a match in Albert's after a brief search. My old eyes are tired so I am going to turn in. If no one else has IDed by tomorrow I will look again.

 

[Terry Soloman]

It's a Way Cool find, whatever it turns out to be!

 

[A2coins]

Good Job!!!!

 

[Spats]

Thanks everyone for your input. Fyrffytr I looked through Albert's book twice before I posted this yesterday and couldn't find this button. After I saw your post, I went through the school section again and still no luck. I may have missed it, but I just can't find it. This button is two piece but almost flat, not convex. The b/m was raised letters in depressed channel before I almost completely eliminated it while cleaning to get a better view of the front. I sure hope someone can ID it. It came from a spot that has produced several prewar and Civil War buttons as well as coins from the 1850s. So I'm hoping this is an old button. Thanks again to all who have weighed in.

 

[relic lover]

Maybe you could dust it with some talcum powder or flour and then use your finger to wipe across the high spots to bring out some more detail without damaging it. I would say it's definitely eighteen fifties based on the back Mark you describe

 

[relic lover]

Oh yeah and post a picture of it if you do this

 

[fyrffytr1]

I went back through Albert's with no luck and I looked in Tice's still no luck. Can you make out any of the letters on the front? I think I see "TA at the three o'clock position.

 

[Spats]

fyrffytr, I have tried using a loupe, using lots of lighting, magnifying glasses, etc. The best detail on the letters is when you enlarge the first picture above. I will try talcum powder and also will take more pictures. Honestly, I never saw the letters at all until nhbenz mentioned them yesterday. I have come up with these possible combinations: ITANT, TITAK, TITAX. ITA. etc. etc. etc. I wonder if the ITA is part of the word MILITARY in a school button? This has potential to be a really nice button, but I am stumped so far.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Shame that water was used to clean this button. We would be able to ID it otherwise. Looking fwd to the pix

 

[DCMatt]

Can you tell us in what county it was found?

We really need a better pic or two for any real research. As others said, there are letters inside the wreath but it is very difficult to tell much about them from these pics. Please take a few more in natural light on a medium dark, non-reflective background. Try to get a good on straight down and others from various angles.

You might also try a drop of oil or something to wet the button for a few of the pics.

I believe it is a military school button but better pics may tell the whole story.

DCMatt

 

[Spats]

Here are more pics with powder and oil. This button was found in the middle of the state of Mississippi. Several early 19th century coin buttons have been found at this site. I found a J. Mann button with a lion on b/m (1805-1843) the same day I found this one. Several dimes and half dimes from 1851-1861, two Louisiana pelican buttons (both with half the front missing), a pre-war US Marine button front, and a few US GS buttons have been found there also. Not many minies, mostly Sharps carbine bullets. The area we are hunting is about 100 to 150 yards behind where the main house stood. Lots of china doll parts, clay marbles, and square nails everywhere. As to cleaning this button with water, I did much worse. Not realizing that I may have a rare button, I cleaned it in a much worse way. To save myself embarrassment, I won't say how I cleaned it, but I have since poured all my lemon juice down the kitchen sink. Thanks again to all who have weighed in on this.

 

[DCMatt]

These pics are a little better, but the button is just too far gone for any definitive ID.

I think we can safely say it has the letters ITA at the 3 o'clock position and that is likely part of the word MILITARY. Based on the letter size it COULD have said MISSISSIPPI before MILITARY, then possibly another word across the bottom.

I can WILDLY SPECULATE that the other word was INSTITUTE. There was a Mississippi Military Institute in Pass Christian, MS at the time of the Civil War. If that's what you have it would be a rare button indeed. I cannot find any examples of MMI uniform buttons. Sadly, we will never know for sure.

Still, I enjoyed attempting to research the piece. Keep digging!

DCMatt

 

[nhbenz]

How about Washington D.c. / Georgetown College! DCS280(A1) is Tice's number, Albert's SU 124.
-page 266 in Tice's book, Uniform Buttons of the U.S. 1776-1865

 

[nhbenz]

Or here: Google Translate

 

[nhbenz]

Interestingly this one was dug in Mississippi as well: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/375591-georgetown-college-cadets-button.html

It is a slightly different variety (Albert's SU 123), but also from Georgetown College

 

[Spats]

nhbenz!!!!!! You nailed it!!! I went through Albert's school button section several times and missed this completely. Also, I kept seeing a backwards N after the A at 3 o'clock and this button has just the same thing. The back mark matches perfectly. The R that I saw in the word after EXTRA is the P in SUPERFINE. Thanks to all who helped with this. I love this button and have learned a valuable lesson in button cleaning. You guys are good!!!