Help Identify Old Cufflink

[Walimu]

I found this cufflink with my Equinox 800 in Upstate NY. Came in at 10-11. Looking for some help identifying. The style is very similar to some Continental Navy cufflinks I dug this year dated 1780's. This looks similar to a John Adams cufflink Calabash digger found but is not an exact match.

 

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[Calabash Digger]

Could be a John Adams.... Look at signature pics....Dont quote me on that......

 

[bologna321]

Looks very similar with a different face to me, cool find

 

[DCMatt]

This version:

John Adams: An Extremely Rare Brass Portrait Cuff Button. Similar in flavor to the familiar, larger, round, George Washington Inaugural buttons, and quite possibly by the same maker. Profile of our second President, with "Jo Adams" below. Great condition with original shank.

There are very few contemporary items of any kind honoring this president, and probably well under ten copies of this cuff button are known. We have handled but one other, which sold for $4687 in our November 2013 Americana sale. However the present example presents much better than that copy, with bolder lettering and portrait. A very special, if diminutive, piece. 10mm x 15mm. From the Merrill C. Berman Collection.

 

[Walimu]

DC Matt, I like the color change you made on my picture. It makes the comparison easier. I feel like I can see most of ADAMS on my picture. I am feeling more confident this is a John Adams cuff link.

 

[Noah_D]

This version:



View attachment 1857374

Banner? Not positive this is a banner find but these seem rare and unlike the GW's (which are often banners already) I've only seen one posted on TNet... anyway, I'm voting!

 

[Calabash Digger]

They are very rare!!! Well under 10 known.....Only complete set I have ever seen were in the Massachusetts State Museum..

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Killer find, BIG congrats!

 

[Tnmountains]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum. Nice rare find glad you saved it from the soil and shared them.

 

[DCMatt]

DC Matt, I like the color change you made on my picture. It makes the comparison easier. I feel like I can see most of ADAMS on my picture. I am feeling more confident this is a John Adams cuff link.

There is no question in my mind that it is a John Adams cuff link.

I like using the "color change" on relics to bring out detail. It can be done with any decent photo editor. I make a negative image of the relic, then use gamma correction and brightness adjustments to get the best contrast. It's works very well on toasted coins and engraved items.

I also want to point out the "IO ADAMS" (that's not a typo). Before the 19 the century, the letters I and J were basically interchangeable in written English. They say that's why L'Enfant didn't include a 'J' Street in Washington, DC when he laid out the city's street plan in 1791 - because signs and written addresses would have looked the same and caused confusion. The street names skip from 'I' to 'K'.

 

[Steve in PA]

Congrats on finding an extremely rare cufflink. I just wish the ground wasn't so harsh on it.