How old is this Naval button?

[washingtonian]

Hey folks,

I’m mid-hunt outside of an 1880s saloon and just found about my 12th straight Naval button. Check it out.



Can anyone help with an approximate age?

Thanks!
W

 

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[Icewing]

It would help a lot if you had a pic of it without all of the mud.

This should help though.
US Military Uniform Buttons Interesting Facts - MISCELLANEOUS / OTHER - U.S. Militaria Forum

 

[washingtonian]

Here are some slightly better pics. Says “?BURY BUTTON CO” on the back

 

[Icewing]

Waterbury Button Co.

 

[A2coins]

Awedome find my Friend

 

[smokeythecat]

On the first set of pics, the back is modern, after 1880. The Waterbury backmark is probably earlier. They had a lot of different backmarks and I'd have to see the whole thing to know which period it belongs to.

 

[washingtonian]

On the first set of pics, the back is modern, after 1880. The Waterbury backmark is probably earlier. They had a lot of different backmarks and I'd have to see the whole thing to know which period it belongs to.

I’ll get some better pics tonight, thanks!

 

[lairmo]

It should have 13 stars around the edge and 3 cannonballs under the anchor.

https://waterburybutton.com/product-detail/us-navy-see-15446--10443

https://waterburybutton.com/product-detail/us-navy-see-15446--10428
https://waterburybutton.com/product-detail/us-navy-10426

not sure which one of these you have yet....

 

[fyrffytr1]

Your button with the eagle facing right and upper fluke of the anchor below the left wing dates it post 1941. Are there traces of brown on it? If so it is Naval aviation. If not plain Navy.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Unfortunately, when the poster responded to Icewing's request for pics which would show the button after the mud got cleaned off, the poster provided pics of a DIFFERENT button, but didn't say it isn't the same button shown in the first pics. (All he said was "Here are some slightly better pics. Says

?BURY BUTTON CO on the back.")

The first button's back has no maker's-mark (backmark), and has a type of self-shank back with a "folded entrance" dome. That specific version of self-shank bac did not exist until approximately the 1940s, and is still being manufactured today. I should mention, that specific version is different from a similar-looking version which has a smaller thread-hole, made by piercing the dome with a very small drill or spike.... which dates from about 1910 to the present.

The second button's backmark says WATERBURY BUTTON CO written in what is called "plain block" lettering. That style of lettering first appeared on Waterbury Button Co. backmarks in 1890, as Smokey The Cat already indicated in her reply... and it is still what the Waterbury Companies still use in the backmark today.

All of that being said... Fyrffytr1 is correct. In 1941 the US Navy changed the emblem on its buttons by reversing the direction of the eagle's head, changing it to facing the eagle's right wing. That is what is seen on both of the poster's buttons. That version is still the only one used on US Navy buttons, up to today.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Unfortunately, when the poster responded to Icewing's request for pics which would show the button after the mud got cleaned off, the poster provided pics of a DIFFERENT button, but didn't say it isn't the same button shown in the first pics. (All he said was "Here are some slightly better pics. Says

?BURY BUTTON CO on the back.")

The first button's back has no maker's-mark (backmark), and has a type of self-shank back with a "folded entrance" dome. That specific version of self-shank bac did not exist until approximately the 1940s, and is still being manufactured today. I should mention, that specific version is different from a similar-looking version which has a smaller thread-hole, made by piercing the dome with a very small drill or spike.... which dates from about 1910 to the present.

The second button's backmark says WATERBURY BUTTON CO written in what is called "plain block" lettering. That style of lettering first appeared on Waterbury Button Co. backmarks in 1890, as Smokey The Cat already indicated in her reply... and it is still what the Waterbury Companies still use in the backmark today.

All of that being said... Fyrffytr1 is correct. In 1941 the US Navy changed the emblem on its buttons by reversing the direction of the eagle's head, changing it to facing the eagle's right wing. That is what is seen on both of the poster's buttons. That version is still the only one used on US Navy buttons, up to today.

You guys and girls never cease to amaze me with your knowledge of US-made buttons!
I tend to find mostly British-made buttons here in the north, so reading informative posts like the one above by TheCannonballGuy, is a great learning tool for me.

Dave

 

[washingtonian]

Unfortunately, when the poster responded to Icewing's request for pics which would show the button after the mud got cleaned off, the poster provided pics of a DIFFERENT button, but didn't say it isn't the same button shown in the first pics. (All he said was "Here are some slightly better pics. Says

?BURY BUTTON CO on the back.")

The first button's back has no maker's-mark (backmark), and has a type of self-shank back with a "folded entrance" dome. That specific version of self-shank bac did not exist until approximately the 1940s, and is still being manufactured today. I should mention, that specific version is different from a similar-looking version which has a smaller thread-hole, made by piercing the dome with a very small drill or spike.... which dates from about 1910 to the present.

The second button's backmark says WATERBURY BUTTON CO written in what is called "plain block" lettering. That style of lettering first appeared on Waterbury Button Co. backmarks in 1890, as Smokey The Cat already indicated in her reply... and it is still what the Waterbury Companies still use in the backmark today.

All of that being said... Fyrffytr1 is correct. In 1941 the US Navy changed the emblem on its buttons by reversing the direction of the eagle's head, changing it to facing the eagle's right wing. That is what is seen on both of the poster's buttons. That version is still the only one used on US Navy buttons, up to today.

Thanks for the help! I was mid-hunt in the field and found 14 total buttons. Didn't realize the buttons were different, I was just trying to find a cleaner looking button that I could share an image of in the moment.