John a Griffith button

jhamner

Hero Member
Dec 2, 2008
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I posted a question earlier about the Griffith button but when I tried to upload the pictures, my computer crashed and I lost all my data. This is a new one and I can't figure out how to post pics yet, but will do so as soon as I can figure it out! Sorry for the delay and thanks so much for your patience!


P.S.-- I THINK I now have some pictures! IMG_6301.JPGIMG_6303.JPG
 

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Thank you for providing well-focused closeup photos of your Virginia State Seal button's front and Griffith backmark. The confirm the time-dating information in the MGuinn-&-Bazelon book on backmarks, and the Albert book's classification of it aas being a post-civil-war button. It has the front shown as VA-24A1 in the Albert book. Also, the Griffith backmark is written in "plain block" lettering rather than "serifed" lettering. I know of only two button backmarks from the civil war era which are written in "plain block" lettering. It is a very nearly 100% accurate rule of thumb that the button was manufactured after the civil war ended.

For anybody who doesn't already know... "serifed" lettering has tiny prongs on the ends of the letters. (The prongs are called serifs.) See the diagram below, which shows the serifs in red. The words "United States of America" on a US dollar bill have serifs, and the word "Liberty" on a US penny is "plain block" lettering.
 

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Thank you for providing well-focused closeup photos of your Virginia State Seal button's front and Griffith backmark. The confirm the time-dating information in the MGuinn-&-Bazelon book on backmarks, and the Albert book's classification of it aas being a post-civil-war button. It has the front shown as VA-24A1 in the Albert book. Also, the Griffith backmark is written in "plain block" lettering rather than "serifed" lettering. I know of only two button backmarks from the civil war era which are written in "plain block" lettering. It is a very nearly 100% accurate rule of thumb that the button was manufactured after the civil war ended.

For anybody who doesn't already know... "serifed" lettering has tiny prongs on the ends of the letters. (The prongs are called serifs.) See the diagram below, which shows the serifs in red. The words "United States of America" on a US dollar bill have serifs, and the word "Liberty" on a US penny is "plain block" lettering.

Thank you VERY MUCH CannonballGuy! My instinct was screaming post war, but my hopes were--well maybe not!!!! Thanks so much for clearing things up for me!
 

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