Found my first civil war buttons ( I think)and could use some help identifying.

Coil-2-Soil

Coil-2-Soil

Sr. Member
Mar 21, 2017
433
815
East Coast
Detector(s) used
3030 and Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
My hunting buddies and I went this past Sunday to an old elementary school to do some coin shooting and found a lot of lead instead. When we first got there Tim dug the first three ringer and his first one when he dug a low penny number on his machine just to see.Man was he happy. We started working our way around this very big fenced in campus(we had permission) when him and i both dug a three ringer at the same time about 20 feet apart. I also dug this piece of lead that I believe is a melted or fired minie ball as all of my finds so far are dropped.I was using the Equinox 800 in park 1 and scanned his first bullet to see what reading on the nox I was looking for. The other buddy i was hunting with found a large civil war jacket button and i scanned it to see what it came as for a reference for buttons as i had never found any of those before. I found 2 more Minie balls and then got a repeatable number for buttons 14-15 and about 6 inches down found a very small button that looked like the small version of the big one Mike had dug. Then about 5 feet away i found another small button like the first one. Then 2 more minie balls to bring it to 5. My best day ever!! My question is about how to identify the buttons and how to determine if they are Union or Confederate uniform button and where on the uniform they would be? I am new to relics so be easy on me if this is common knowledge. The dime is for size reference. Thanks for looking and HH ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1533335634.986741.jpgImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1533335658.605747.jpgImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1533335671.865822.jpg
 

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Those are some amazing finds! I would love to have a day like that. Congrats!
 

From the pics, they appear to be Union General Service cuff buttons. The bullets are dropped three ringers and one Williams Cleaner bullet.

D.
 

I think the button on the left might be a General staff one. It looks like it is 3 piece construction. Can you read any marks on the back of either one?
 

fyrffytr1 said:
I think the button on the left might be a General staff one. It looks like it is 3 piece construction. Can you read any marks on the back of either one?
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The button on the left has too much corrosion to read. The other one cleaned up good but I will have to get a magnifying glass to read what it says. Thanks for the info.
 

I can't make out the pic very well but I believe ff166c794623a0b710b6040e0999f899.jpg
 

Great finds! I have not found a CW button yet.
 

Keep at it multz, I have faith.
 

I love these type of posts.

Coil-2-Soil said:
My hunting buddies and I went this past Sunday to an old elementary school to do some coin shooting and found a lot of lead instead. When we first got there Tim dug the first three ringer and his first one when he dug a low penny number on his machine just to see.Man was he happy. We started working our way around this very big fenced in campus(we had permission) when him and i both dug a three ringer at the same time about 20 feet apart. I also dug this piece of lead that I believe is a melted or fired minie ball as all of my finds so far are dropped.I was using the Equinox 800 in park 1 and scanned his first bullet to see what reading on the nox I was looking for. The other buddy i was hunting with found a large civil war jacket button and i scanned it to see what it came as for a reference for buttons as i had never found any of those before. I found 2 more Minie balls and then got a repeatable number for buttons 14-15 and about 6 inches down found a very small button that looked like the small version of the big one Mike had dug. Then about 5 feet away i found another small button like the first one. Then 2 more minie balls to bring it to 5. My best day ever!! My question is about how to identify the buttons and how to determine if they are Union or Confederate uniform button and where on the uniform they would be? I am new to relics so be easy on me if this is common knowledge. The dime is for size reference. Thanks for looking and HHView attachment 1618498View attachment 1618499View attachment 1618500
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First let me congratulate you on your first Civil War button Finds & some nice Drop's

I agree with DP & Fyrffytr1 .

Your buttons look like General Service US Cuff's , with one being a Staff Officer's Type .

The lack of detail on the Staff is unusual IMO, Might it's back be made of Iron ?

If so it could be a Kepi Button as I have found a couple tin -back Staff Officers buttons .

I'm no Expert tho. 99% sure they are CW period .

Also 'Think ' your lead Blob is melted bullets.

Y'all may have stumbled on a Picket post or Camp site, or in the worst case 'Show & tell ' Losses .

IMO The Minnie's look the same except the Type 3 cleaner , & the middle Minnie , so likely Wartime Drops .

I'd def, check that place again (dig nice Plugs) you know the deal .

Also do some research on the area, Good luck on more saves in the future.
Davers
 

Mlutz you just so happen to live in a state where your likely to find one. Keep at it you will get one eventually.
 

I'd be hunting that site on a regular basis. It might be holding a nice buckle and just waiting to be found. Good luck!
 

I definitely do. I hunt near Richmond and Amelia County along Lee's Retreat. We have found quite a bit of bullets fired and dropped. The buttons have escaped me thus far. I still maintain a positive outlook though. Bullets and grape shot are great.
 

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Congratualtions! :occasion14:
 

Congratualtions! ( 0ne would expect a professor to be a better speller, would one not?)
 

mlutz said:
I definitely do. I hunt near Richmond and Amelia County along Lee's Retreat. We have found quite a bit of bullets fired and dropped. The buttons have escaped me thus far. I still maintain a positive outlook though. Bullets and grape shot are great.
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Dig almost everything especially 'Shot Gun Brass ' & even Pull Tab for the Smaller types , any Cast 1 piece should be Loud & Clear.GL MAN
 

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