Navy Button?

[jerseyben]

I think I got an early 1800's Navy button here?

Can anyone look this up in Albert's or Tice's please?

 

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[johnnyi]

My poor eyes say it's an Albert's 66A. A beautiful button!

 

[jerseyben]

Does it list a rarity? I believe this one is fairly desirable, no?

 

[duggap]

My poor eyes say it's an Albert's 66A. A beautiful button!

Hey bad eyes is my excuse. You have to find you own, he he. I agree with you that it is 66A. They even list the backmark as shown above. The RV is 12-15. Definitely a very nice find.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

I agree with Johnnyi... your button is shown in the button-book by Alphaeus H. Albert in the US Navy section as button NA-66A. The McGuinn-&-Bazelon book on backmark time-dating says the company which manufactured your button was listed as a button-maker in Birmingham England in 1818 through 1821.

You asked about its rarity... it is uncommon, but not very "rare." The Albert book rated its dollar value at $12-$15 when the book was published in 1976 -- but of course, inflation has raised the value during the 38 years since then.

William Leigh is the top dealer of pre-civil-war era US Military buttons. His website shows an NA-66 button in dug condition like yours, which he listed for $100 but wound up trading for some other button. He also had a "non-dug" (non-excavated) NA-66A, which he sold for $175.
William Leigh: Dragoons, Riflemen and Navy Buttons

After-posting note:
Duggap and I were typing at the same time. My post took longer to finish because I did some internet research to find the rarity and current collectors' market dollar-value of your excavated NA-66A button.

 

[jerseyben]

Thank you kindly to all who replied and with extremely accurate information! Just a note that this button was not dug but was found in a box of coins at a flea market.