✅ SOLVED Gorgeous 2-Piece Button; Can't Find Anything on the Maker Though..

[paleomaxx]

This button turned up at a cellar hole yesterday. It was well overgrown so not too many targets were accessible, but probably an 1830's to 1880's site. This was the only button to show up, but it's absolutely stunning and I've never seen one like it posted here. The ground preserved it phenomenally and the maker's mark is pretty clear on the back, but I can't find anything on the maker online. I was wondering in any of the button experts are familiar with them:



The lettering is "Hayden & Griyley * Extra *" near as I can tell and it's a brass two-piece construction.

I would love to know the years that the button maker was active and where they were located. It's a beautiful pattern on the front; I wish I found more like this one!

 

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[HuntinDog]

Chances are your Hayden & Griyley were the garment makers and your button was made for their garments to advertise their fine work.

Awesome button and I'm sure someone will have a better ID for you.

 

[Shiloh]

It does say extra. I would think it is the name of the button maker.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Trying a different tactic today... do a mid-day post before I get too weary in the evening.

According to the McGuinn-&-Bazelon book on button backmarks:
There were at least four Hayden men (David, Hiram, Sidney, and Augustus) who lived in Waterbury CT who manufactured buttons in partnership with other button-makers in that city. The last-name Hayden appears in a several different "partnership" backmarks from the 1820s into the 1850s. For example:
Leavenworth, Hayden, & Scovills.
K[endrick], Haydens & Co. (Note that the Hayden name here is plural.)

Interestingly, the backmark book lists a button-maker whose name is extremely close to your backmark's "Griyley" … and like the Hayden brothers he too lived in Waterbury CT. His name was Henry Grilley. Your backmark might be a slight miss-spelling of his name.

Although the company name "Hayden & Griyley (or Grilley)" does not appear in the backmark book, in my opinion it was one of the several Hayden brothers button-making partnerships.

But then again, it MIGHT be an unlisted British button-maker. However, the name Hayden does not show up anywhere in the United Kingdom Detector Finds (UKDFD) massive (several pages long) list of British button-backmarks. Folks here who are interested in 1800s backmarks might find that site useful:
Button Makers and their backmarks - ukdfd

There was also a Hayden (Hayden, Gregg, & Co.) dealing in metal buttons in Charleston SC, but I think the Waterbury connection for both of the two names in your backmark makes it more likely to have been made there than by the Hayden-&-Gregg company in Charleston SC.

Time-dating:
Because your very-ornate "Golden Age" button is a 2-piece button and its backmark is written in raised (not indented) lettering, I think it was most likely made sometime during the 20 years between 1830 and 1850.

After-posting Update:
After doing close examination of an enlargement of the backmark photo, I think there's a good possibility that the letter you are reading as a Y in the middle of Griyley is actually an L. There appears to be a tiny dent in the metal at the top of that letter which makes it look kinda like a Y. Please check to see if there is the bottom of a letter L in your not-fully-cleaned backmark.

 

[paleomaxx]

I think you're right on the second "L", the "Y" is very characteristic and it seems more likely that it's just a weak die on the "L".

 

[Bramblefind]

I agree with "Grilley" - they were a family (Henry, Samuel, Silas) of button makers in the Waterbury area.

Here are other buttons like yours -

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/golden-age-button-hayden-grilley-475754753

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-golden-age-gilt-button-1905056524