✅ SOLVED help dating a scovill button

PennDirtDigger

Jr. Member
Mar 10, 2019
82
243
Western Pennsylvania
Detector(s) used
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
found this in a field in western pa. it says scovill mfg co Waterbury on the back.anybody know a date and maybe the uniform it came from?? IMG_1091.JPGIMG_1092.JPG
 

It's a US Marine corps Button. The backmark is key to dating it. It's hard to make out but looks like Scoville Mf'g Co. Waterbury

That being said, is that a dot or star separating the words? The 1850 to 1870 button had a solid line circling the words on the outside and inside.

Another 1860-1870 variant instead of a solid line, had a series of tiny dots circling.

It's in that general time frame. I can't quite make out which style of lettering it is. That's a nice looking button.
 

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It's a US Marine corps Button. The backmark is key to dating it. It's hard to make out but looks like Scoville Mf'g Co. Waterbury

That being said, is that a dot or star separating the words? The 1850 to 1870 button had a solid line circling the words on the outside and inside.

Another 1860-1870 variant instead of a solid line, had a series of tiny dots circling.

It's in that general time frame. I can't quite make out which style of lettering it is. That's a nice looking button.

Thanks! I cleaned it a bit more and got up close with it. I believe there is a dot between wordsIMG_1096.JPG
 

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Your button's backmark saying "Scovil Mfg Co Waterbury" with no ring-of-dots nor groove encircling the lettering is from the early to mid 20th Century. Furthermore, the photo of your brass US Marines uniform button appears to show the button has "black finish" on it, which means it dates from World War One to 1923. Here's a photo showing a non-dug version of your black-finish WW1 US Marines button, including its specific Scovill backmark.
 

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  • backmark_ScovillMfgCoWaterbury-dots-no-rings_US-Marines_blackfinish-WW1-to-1923_backview_TN_phot.jpg
    backmark_ScovillMfgCoWaterbury-dots-no-rings_US-Marines_blackfinish-WW1-to-1923_backview_TN_phot.jpg
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Cannonball guy is correct. The backmark makes all the difference. By the 20th century the rings and dots were no longer used, but the first picture wasn't clear enough to make out.
 

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Awesome Id I will agree with CBG and Smokey on the button ID because it makes me look good lol Nice relic
 

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