My first Officers 2 piece French Button in 30 years of digging and Spanish SILVER!!!

[Devonrex]

My first Officer's 2 piece French Button in 30 years of digging and Spanish SILVER!!!

What a fantastic day of digging I had today!!! Managed to pull from the ground 3 French Revolutionary War buttons and another piece of cut silver as well as the inner piece to a military shoe buckle. Now for the part I can't believe. I have been searching my whole life for an OFFICERS 2 piece French button. The French officers had buttons that were extremely fancy but delicate. That is why so few have survived. They had a thin front part crimped over a much better constructed back. They also incorporated 2 parallel loops to attach to the uniform instead of the turret shank which was used by enlisted men. Well today I dug my first 2 piece Officer's button and to make it even sweeter is a regiment I have NEVER found before and a very rare one at that! I also found another back to another officer's button as well and an enlisted men's button with the familiar turret shank! The back was found less than 5 feet from the complete 2 piece button so I am sure this button came off the same jacket as the other. It's too bad the front disentegrated over time. Up until today I had found only 4 French Officer's backs in 30 years of digging. I finally can say I have found an Officer's 2 piece French Revolutionary War button!!!!!!!!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My officer's 2 - piece French button is a 16!!! Known as the Forez regiment, this number is very rare especially in an officer's pattern. Don Troini does list a 2 - piece specimen in his book Insignia of Independence. The cuff enlisted turned out to be an 8 from the Bearn regiment. This makes my 5th Rev War button I have found in 2016. The relic next to the 5 buttons below is a Rev War sword pommel that was found in the same immediate area. I posted these pictures on Don Troini's Facebook site "Revolutionary War buttons, plates, and accoutrements" and he responded immediately saying ...."Wonderful finds! The officer's buttons are very scarce." Yes they are Don...it only took me 30 years to dig my first! HH Devonrex

 

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[Devonrex]

More pics

 

[Evolution]

Wow! Amazing buttons. Congrats on some phenomenal finds.

 

[leddel]

super congrats on the relics Devonrex , my only question is what makes you sure that the shoe buckle parts
(the roll and tongue) are military ?? they look like pieces to an older type of shoe buckle (1690 to 1720)
and not the same provenience as the later military items .

 

[Ahab8]

super congrats on the relics Devonrex , my only question is what makes you sure that the shoe buckle parts
(the roll and tongue) are military ?? they look like pieces to an older type of shoe buckle (1690 to 1720)
and not the same provenience as the later military items .

Fantastic finds DRex. Congrats. I have to agree that those buckles are of a much earlier style as Leddel said.

 

[ARC]

Great digs Devonrex.

Well done.

Lets see some close ups

 

[fishstick]

BIG CONGRATZ DEV!!!!!! SUPER FINDS and GREAT RESEARCH!!!!

 

[Eastcoasthunter21]

Great digs man love those buttons and nothing like Spanish silver !!

 

[trapperart]

Congrats on some great finds

 

[Metal Magnet]

you're really killing it lately.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Congratz on some great old digs as usual!

 

[Steve in PA]

Nice Rev War buttons. Is there any way you can clean the officers button and post a better picture front and back? Or is it too fragile?

 

[Devonrex]

Fantastic finds DRex. Congrats. I have to agree that those buckles are of a much earlier style as Leddel said.

Thanks Ahab for the nice comments. I realized the shoe buckle was of a style I had never found before when I dug it but I just assumed it was the same age as the buttons. Also I didn't even realize the roller was part of a buckle! This site is proving to be one of those sites you dream about where the finds could date anywhere from the 1600's all the way to the mid 1860's (Civil War years). I have pretty much pounded this site now. But you know no how hard you hit a site you can never get it all! I will be back if I can ever get a day off from work! HH Devonrex

 

[Brian W]

Every time I see your post...I know I'm going to see some incredible relics and buttons...well done on the 2 piece..Congrats

 

[Devonrex]

Nice Rev War buttons. Is there any way you can clean the officers button and post a better picture front and back? Or is it too fragile?

Thanks Steve! The button is extremely fragile with an egg shell like front. I sprayed it with clear satin polyurethane last night and this helped in not only protecting it but it also made it less fragile. It also made the 16 stand out more noticeably and gave it a brilliance it didn't have before! I will try and get some close ups of the front and back this weekend! HH Devorex

 

[can]

very nice finds

 

[Ahab8]

Thanks Ahab for the nice comments. I realized the shoe buckle was of a style I had never found before when I dug it but I just assumed it was the same age as the buttons. Also I didn't even realize the roller was part of a buckle! This site is proving to be one of those sites you dream about where the finds could date anywhere from the 1600's all the way to the mid 1860's (Civil War years). I have pretty much pounded this site now. But you know no how hard you hit a site you can never get it all! I will be back if I can ever get a day off from work! HH Devonrex

Those truly are dream sites and are a very rare bird to find. I just bought a 12x15 SEF coil for my T2 and had very low expectations for it. I have been pleasantly surprised the first couple of trips out. It has found a few small items that I missed which was an eye opener. I wonder if a different coil or machine would make a difference. It seems that any variable always seems to expose a few new finds. At a site like that it could be well worth the attempt.

 

[Devonrex]

Nice Rev War buttons. Is there any way you can clean the officers button and post a better picture front and back? Or is it too fragile?

Here you go Steve. I consider this button to be in the top 5 finds I have EVER made. After all it only took me 30 years to find one. I don't think one has ever been posted on Treasurenet before now! Notice the 2 parallel loops for the shank instead of the familiar turret style attachment. The front is egg shell like thin. I did spray a layer of satin polyurethane to give it stability and protection. It also gave it a little shine which helps show off the 16 better. I am hoping this site may have another one of these gems hiding in it somewhere! HH Devonrex

 

[Devonrex]

Every time I see your post...I know I'm going to see some incredible relics and buttons...well done on the 2 piece..Congrats

Thankyou Sir! I have been relic hunt for Civil and Revolutionary War relics for over 30 years now Brian. It is where my passion lies. Now every time I pick up my detector I also feel closer to my father since he passed away a couple of months ago and he loved detecting as well. Even when I come home empty handed I always have a good day! This button is something I have been searching for, for a long time. Finding one feels surreal after searching for one for all these years! A lot of people on this site do not realize how rare a find this is but I doubt they will see another one posted for a long time. As one of my friends told me "this is one hell of a find!" Thanks again for your kind remarks. HH Devonrex

 

[treblehunter]

Congrats on finding your buttons!