George Washington mourning button

BenVa68

Hero Member
Mar 9, 2018
504
1,731
Hopewell va.
Detector(s) used
Technetics T2+ Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting

Attachments

  • 20191110_172213.jpg
    20191110_172213.jpg
    750.5 KB · Views: 221
  • 20191110_172233.jpg
    20191110_172233.jpg
    551.6 KB · Views: 133
  • 20191110_155023.jpg
    20191110_155023.jpg
    925.6 KB · Views: 151
Upvote 35
Great Find! There’s been a lot of discussion about those buttons as to pertaining to the death of GW. I do believe it is a mourning button and have seen quite a few varieties. My buddy dug half a cuff link last month with the same motif as your button. Congrats
 

What an incredible button- big time congrats!
 

If only the stories were true.
Lemon juice on the front of that one will clean it up well.

There is a very good chance this pre-dates his death by many years. That classical Urn shape is a popular one (many varieties), mostly due to the influence of the 18th C Grand Tour. Although I'm sure some were for Mourning, many were just fashionable & showed you were Cultured/well travelled.(understood Ancient Roman/Greece)

PS. Tough to date precisely.
 

That is one really nice button. You have a great piece of history for your collection. Enjoy!
 

Sweet button, eager to find out more. Congratulations
 

That's a really nice button! If you go to any old cemetery on the east coast you will probably see some headstones with imagery like this on them.
 

Congratulations. Super find.:icon_thumright:
 

I have not been able to find an exact match online. I see some with similar designs dating to 1799 but no silver ones like mine. The site I dug it at has a lot of history. It was one of the first Colonial settlements and played an important role in the Civil War. Id like to hunt it every weekend but this is one of those permissions where I feel like I could lose it at any time. Although they gave me permission the property owners are still a little funny about me being there so I don't want to push my luck. I also dug half a cannonball, some 3 ringers,a musket ball and an old blade of some sort the same day as the button.
 

What an awesome button! Congrats :icon_thumleft:
 

Thanks. Me too. From what i have seen so far it is a rare button.
Yeap, that is what makes it rare it's a medium sized Button & most of these classical urns/vessels designs are on cuff-links. I pictured up a few of the various designs for you to looks at. (there are many more)
 

Attachments

  • 18th C Cuff-Links.JPG
    18th C Cuff-Links.JPG
    234.1 KB · Views: 103

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top