Im stuck - any help for an ID of this button?

[Jrowlas]

I'm stuck - any help for an ID of this button?

I have an image but can't get it to upload. Will try again from desktop if need to. For now... The button was found in PA by a friend's Uncle. It has the word PLATED at the top (for silver?) and a stalk of wheat bordering left, and another plant stalk on the right. They cross at the bottom. It has seven stars in the inner ring under the word PLATED. At the very top is one more star...sort of resembles Star of David but just slightly.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? My hunch is that it may be civil war era and very likely guard or military issue button?

Thanks so much!

 

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[FoundInNC]

Just post the photo to tinypic.com and give us the link.

 

[Jrowlas]

Ok! . The tinypic link is http://i46.tinypic.com/rvikcw.jpg[/IMG]. Hope it works. Thanks!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Please pardon me if you already know most of the following information:
The imagery you describe is on your button's back, not its front. Your button is known as a one-piece brass "flat-button." It was manufactured for use on civilian clothing, although some Militia organizations did use the plain-front flat-buttons on their uniform.

The marking on your button is called a backmark, which is the manufacturer's marking on a button's back. As you guessed, the word "plated" in a 1-piece flat-button's backmark always meant silverplated. (If it was what we now call goldplated, the word used in the backmark was "gilt."

Because your button's back has a combination of raised and indented markings, it dates from approximately 1810 to the latter-1830s/early-1840s. These 1-piece "plain" flt-buttons rapidly fell out of public favor in the 1840s due to the advent of more-ornate 2-piece buttons for sale at an inexpensive price.

 

[Jrowlas]

Thank you so much!