🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Is this a button?

[lrgoodger]

This was 6" deep at the 'hunted out yard' where the 1876 quarter was only 2" deep. As you can see in the on-edge view, it is much thicker in the center than on the edges. It is .719" in diameter. It appears to be brass. There are no markings on either side. There is a post on the back that is almost 1/4" in diameter. There are no threads in it, but it looks like it has a screwdriver slot at the bottom. It looks like a hole was drilled in the post from the side (but did not go through the far side) and the stem it was on broke off through the hole. My guess is there was a pin in the hole holding it onto whatever it was on.

 

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[Back-of-the-boat]

It looks like it could have been a snap type closure.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

To me, it looks like a "spun-back" 1-piece button, from the late-1700s into the early 1800s, whose iron (or brass) loop has been torn off. I think the shallow "screwdriver slot" you're seeing is the imprint of the cast-in iron or brass loop, which is only visible because the loop is missing.

If you're not familiar with a "spun-back" 1-piece button see the chart below. As my statement above indicates, I disagree with the chart's author, basing my time dating opinion on much-much excavated evidence here in "Colonial Virginia."

Updating, using the Edit function:
I forgot to mention, the spun-back button is first in the 2nd row of the chart. Note that it says "burr edge" -- which is the raggedyness you are seeing where the loop used to be on the back of your find.

 

[lrgoodger]

To me, it looks like a "spun-back" 1-piece button, from the late-1700s into the early 1800s, whose iron (or brass) loop has been torn off. I think the shallow "screwdriver slot" you're seeing is the imprint of the cast-in iron or brass loop, which is only visible because the loop is missing.

If you're not familiar with a "spun-back" 1-piece button see the chart below. As my statement above indicates, I disagree with the chart's author, basing my time dating opinion on much-much excavated evidence here in "Colonial Virginia."

Updating, using the Edit function:
I forgot to mention, the spun-back button is first in the 2nd row of the chart. Note that it says "burr edge" -- which is the raggedyness you are seeing where the loop used to be on the back of your find.

I think you are right. I did not know about this type button. Thank you.