Great Seal Button Backmarks Help

[Bigcypresshunter]

I am assembling a list of US Army Great Seal button backmarks 1902-present.. This seems to be the most complete list available anywhere. With the help of TN members, I am occasionally adding and improving upon it. So far I have over 100 different backmarks. Anyone with a Great Seal button backmark or backmark variation not listed please post the pic and Ill add it. The thread is already so long its not necessary to add anything already pictured. Thanks.

This is how it all started:


I bought 2 bags of small Great Seal of US buttons for a buck at a flea market. Can someone help me date these backmarks? I believe they are all post 1902. I cant find anything else online.

1- Top row SCOVILL MF'G CO WATERBURY (back ungilted)
2- SCOVILL MF'G CO WATERBURY
3- Bottom CITY BUTTON WORKS - N.Y.
4- WATERBURY BUTTON CO.

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

A member has brought to my attention an incredible listing of US Army general service great seal button backmarks. Instead of typing them all out, I am taking the liberty to post pages from the book "American Military Button Makers and Dealers: Their Backmarks& Dates" by William F. Mcguinn & Bruce S. Bazelon, 2006 expanded edition. I hope its OK.


The list is also in alphabetical order. Between this list and mine should cover most all of them. I have many that are not on this list such as Jaffe, Marshall Field, Krementz, Wolcott and the Johnson button from Italy to name a few. I may at a later date type out one large combination list.

 

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[Breezie]

Thanks BCH; GREAT work!!! Breezie

 

[fyrffytr1]

BCH,
BUT, YOU TYPE SO PURTY!! That would be a tough task but you're the man who can do it!

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

BCH,
BUT, YOU TYPE SO PURTY!! That would be a tough task but you're the man who can do it!

Too much work. Thats for the booklist.

 

[TNYANKEE74]

found these today 3 feet apart.the bigger one is the austin co and the smaller one is RL mfg.can anybody tell me about what date these were made and a possible value? thank you

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

found these today 3 feet apart.the bigger one is the austin co and the smaller one is RL mfg.can anybody tell me about what date these were made and a possible value? thank you

I believe they are both WWI. The value would be about a dollar each.

 

[bronco]

Here's my entry with a link to the prior ID thread.
Any chance this is prior to 1902 like Montana Jim said?
.BORO MASS

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,144026.0.html

I still think it had dark pigment on the shield

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Here's my entry with a link to the prior ID thread.
Any chance this is prior to 1902 like Montana Jim said?.BORO MASS

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,144026.0.html

NO. All Great Seal buttons are post 1902. What Montana Jim was saying is that D. Evans & Co. that most likely made this button was in business from 1848 - 1945. They made many different buttons. I cant read the entire backmark looks like ATTLEBORO MASS. Your button is without any doubt post 1902 and I have it listed. Probably WWI.

 

[bronco]

Thanks! The mystery of my backyard continues.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Thanks! The mystery of my backyard continues.

If you found it in your backyard, it may have been under a clothesline.

 

[Roff]

Badger mfg button

I found this in a field here in Boise. It's easy enough to read the back, but extensive research on the Internet has failed to give me a date range.
Note that the great seal does not have a lined field. Most of the pictures I've seen do have a lined field. Apparently, the great seal was used on military buttons beginning in 1902, and I believe it is still used today. I can find no reference to Badger mfg. co. except as mentioned by others who found similar buttons.
Does anyone have an idea of the date this was made?

 

[fyrffytr1]

It was made between 1902 and 1911. Sometime in 1911 a rim was added. I found this link that shows a contract with Badger Mfg. in 1908.
http://www.oshkoshmuseum.org/Virtual/exhibit5/e50213a.htm

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Thanks for posting Roff and fyrffytr1. I see that "American Military Button Makers and Dealers: Their Backmarks& Dates" has a black button listed from 1917-23 so would it be safe to list BADGER MFG. CO. * RACINE, WIS. * from 1902-1923 if I ever get around to updating the list?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Badger mfg button

I found this in a field here in Boise. It's easy enough to read the back, but extensive research on the Internet has failed to give me a date range.
Note that the great seal does not have a lined field. Most of the pictures I've seen do have a lined field. Apparently, the great seal was used on military buttons beginning in 1902, and I believe it is still used today. I can find no reference to Badger mfg. co. except as mentioned by others who found similar buttons.
Does anyone have an idea of the date this was made?

Is the backmark CO: or CO.?

 

[Roff]

It was made between 1902 and 1911. Sometime in 1911 a rim was added. I found this link that shows a contract with Badger Mfg. in 1908.
http://www.oshkoshmuseum.org/Virtual/exhibit5/e50213a.htm

Thanks for the fast response! Just in time to enter it in the Relic category of our club's FOTM contest this afternoon.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

It was made between 1902 and 1911. Sometime in 1911 a rim was added. I found this link that shows a contract with Badger Mfg. in 1908.
http://www.oshkoshmuseum.org/Virtual/exhibit5/e50213a.htm

Thanks for the fast response! Just in time to enter it in the Relic category of our club's FOTM contest this afternoon.

Interesting note from fyrffytr1's link that uniforms with these Wisconsin buttons were used as late as the Mexican Border War of 1916 but were all replaced by the time of our involvement in WWI.

 

[Roff]

Re: Badger mfg button

I found this in a field here in Boise. It's easy enough to read the back, but extensive research on the Internet has failed to give me a date range.
Note that the great seal does not have a lined field. Most of the pictures I've seen do have a lined field. Apparently, the great seal was used on military buttons beginning in 1902, and I believe it is still used today. I can find no reference to Badger mfg. co. except as mentioned by others who found similar buttons.
Does anyone have an idea of the date this was made?

Is the backmark CO: or CO.?

It looks like a colon. What is the significance?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Badger mfg button

I found this in a field here in Boise. It's easy enough to read the back, but extensive research on the Internet has failed to give me a date range.
Note that the great seal does not have a lined field. Most of the pictures I've seen do have a lined field. Apparently, the great seal was used on military buttons beginning in 1902, and I believe it is still used today. I can find no reference to Badger mfg. co. except as mentioned by others who found similar buttons.
Does anyone have an idea of the date this was made?

Is the backmark CO: or CO.?

It looks like a colon. What is the significance?

In the future, if Great Seal buttons ever become as collectible as CW buttons for example, every little difference will be considered a different backmark or error. Usually the rarer the more valuable. I want to be as accurate as possible so I'll put it down as a colon in my list of known backmarks. Thanks.

BADGER MF'G. CO: * RACINE, WIS. * no rim 1902-1911.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Thanks for posting Roff and fyrffytr1. I see that "American Military Button Makers and Dealers: Their Backmarks& Dates" has a black button listed from 1917-23 so would it be safe to list BADGER MFG. CO. * RACINE, WIS. * from 1902-1923 if I ever get around to updating the list?

I think it would be safe to add the 1902-1923 date. There could be later examples. On page 154 Badger is listed as being part of the Steele & Johnson back die list. And, on page 150 it is listed as part of the Waterbury Back die list. Waterbury bought Steele & Johnson in the 1920's.

 

[Roff]

I wound up getting the most votes in the FOTM/Relics contest at our monthly club meeting. My prize was a 1964 quarter. Thank, for the timely help, guys!