🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Need help identifying a flat button

[el remolino]

Hello to all. I have shamefully been absent from here for many years. Sometimes life gets in the way….
I really need help identifying this button and perhaps an age range. This is really troublesome as the back mark is almost completely worn off. Its diameter is 14mm. I can see parts of letters or symbols but can’t make them out. The letters are raised.
This was found in West Texas. The railroad came through here in 1882 but before that it was primarily Native Americans (Apaches) and a few soldiers. Im leaning towards A drop by a Native as it was found near a seasonable waterhole. The only other artifact found at this site was a cut nail (square nail). Both artifacts were found about twenty feet away from a lone wikiup ring.
Any help would be greatly appreciated as I have been trying to determine different Native trails and soldier trails through the region.
*I did my best to take better photos. This is about as good as my iPhone can get. Again, it’s very worn but I figured if anyone would figure this button out, it would be someone on here. There is a decent chance this button came out of Mexico. Before that, who knows….

 

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[Gare]

From the pictures I can not see any revealing marks, But then my eyesight is not as good as it used to be. Can anyone see any ?

 

[Chilli]

Hello to all. I have shamefully been absent from here for many years. Sometimes life gets in the way….
I really need help identifying this button and perhaps an age range. This is really troublesome as the back mark is almost completely worn off. Its diameter is 14mm. I believe I can see the letter “W” which I positioned at 12 o’clock. There might be a letter “T” at the 10 o’clock position but I am not positive. It appears there is maybe a star design on each side of the shank. The letters are raised.
This was found in West Texas. The railroad came through here in 1882 but before that it was primarily Native Americans (Apaches) and a few soldiers. Im leaning towards A drop by a Native as it was found near a seasonable waterhole. The only other artifact found at this site was a cut nail (square nail). Both artifacts were found about twenty feet away from a lone wikiup ring.
Any help would be greatly appreciated as I have been trying to determine different Native trails and soldier trails through the region.

Hi. When I enlarge the picture to look for something its too out of focus.
I think if you do another in focus it would help.

 

[invent4hir]

Welcome back! Good write up. Looking forward to better pics.

 

[el remolino]

Hello to all. I have shamefully been absent from here for many years. Sometimes life gets in the way….
I really need help identifying this button and perhaps an age range. This is really troublesome as the back mark is almost completely worn off. Its diameter is 14mm. I can see parts of letters or symbols but can’t make them out. The letters are raised.
This was found in West Texas. The railroad came through here in 1882 but before that it was primarily Native Americans (Apaches) and a few soldiers. Im leaning towards A drop by a Native as it was found near a seasonable waterhole. The only other artifact found at this site was a cut nail (square nail). Both artifacts were found about twenty feet away from a lone wikiup ring.
Any help would be greatly appreciated as I have been trying to determine different Native trails and soldier trails through the region.
*I did my best to take better photos. This is about as good as my iPhone can get. Again, it’s very worn but I figured if anyone would figure this button out, it would be someone on here. There is a decent chance this button came out of Mexico. Before that, who knows….

Better photos added….

 

[invent4hir]

Looking at the first 3 pics I thought it is a flat button w/ the shank missing. Then at about 10 o-clock on the 4th pic there appears to be a dent - that got me wondering if it is domed. Please post a side view pic.

While I'm not able to ID based on the letters, if a flat button, it will help with narrow down when the button was made. Of course, that could be years before it was lost, as people re-used buttons.

 

[el remolino]

Looking at the first 3 pics I thought it is a flat button w/ the shank missing. Then at about 10 o-clock on the 4th pic there appears to be a dent - that got me wondering if it is domed. Please post a side view pic.

While I'm not able to ID based on the letters, if a flat button, it will help with narrow down when the button was made. Of course, that could be years before it was lost, as people re-used buttons.

I posted a side view. I think I see the top part of a “T”, possibly from GILT , just a guess. I’m basically just trying to establish when this type of button would have been made. Our area was settled very late and we just don’t have mid 19th century and older artifacts. I am really thinking it was dropped by a Native.
I appreciate the help very much!

 

[invent4hir]

That looks flat. Check out the diagram on the thread https://www.treasurenet.com/threads/flat-button-id.703077/

While you may not have found mid-18th century and older artifacts in your area, keep in mind that the button may have been lost years after it was made. For example, my sister still has a tin of buttons passed down from our grandmother - some nearly 100 years old. Can't comment on who lost it (Native or otherwise).

Since your goal is to determine different Native trails and soldier trails through the region, I'd research local and state history museums/offices. I'd think there are old maps/books with that info. If so, it will help focus on areas to detect/search. For example check out Texas Trails: 1716-1886 Side: 1 of 1 at https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth494162/m1/1/. Good luck!

 

[ncsuwolf]

Raised vs indented letters are a tell on your flat button. Please see thecannonballguys response from a few years ago…..1790-1830.

✅ SOLVED - Another flat button question

I dug this button today on an old farm, in the woods. It is my first flat button and I was super excited. Any help with information on it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

www.treasurenet.com

 

[invent4hir]

Raised vs indented letters are a tell on your flat button. Please see thecannonballguys response from a few years ago…..1790-1830.

✅ SOLVED - Another flat button question

I dug this button today on an old farm, in the woods. It is my first flat button and I was super excited. Any help with information on it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

www.treasurenet.com

ncsuwolf, excellent pointing to CBG's past post!

 

[el remolino]

That looks flat. Check out the diagram on the thread https://www.treasurenet.com/threads/flat-button-id.703077/

While you may not have found mid-18th century and older artifacts in your area, keep in mind that the button may have been lost years after it was made. For example, my sister still has a tin of buttons passed down from our grandmother - some nearly 100 years old. Can't comment on who lost it (Native or otherwise).

Since your goal is to determine different Native trails and soldier trails through the region, I'd research local and state history museums/offices. I'd think there are old maps/books with that info. If so, it will help focus on areas to detect/search. For example check out Texas Trails: 1716-1886 Side: 1 of 1 at https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth494162/m1/1/. Good luck!

Thank you very much for the help!!

 

[el remolino]

ncsuwolf, excellent pointing to CBG's past post!

Thank you so much. That was a great, thorough description.

 

[el remolino]

So without getting too long winded, the reason why I needed to know an age range is because I wanted to eliminate any dates later than 1855. That’s when forts started popping up in my general area but the closest one was still 70 miles from this site. Earliest soldier graffiti I’ve seen in my immediate is 1873 with a military camp being established about 25 miles away in 1879-1880. There weren’t any settlements anywhere close to this immediate area until 1882. As mentioned in an earlier post the only folks roaming around in this great vastness were native Americans and a few soldiers. I will never be able to say for sure but I now, even more so, feel like this was probably lost by a Native.
Thanks for all the help to everyone!!

 

[el remolino]

ncsuwolf, excellent pointing to CBG's past post!

Raised vs indented letters are a tell on your flat button. Please see thecannonballguys response from a few years ago…..1790-1830.

✅ SOLVED - Another flat button question

I dug this button today on an old farm, in the woods. It is my first flat button and I was super excited. Any help with information on it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

www.treasurenet.com

Thank you for leading me in this direction. Very helpful.

 

[ncsuwolf]

So without getting too long winded, the reason why I needed to know an age range is because I wanted to eliminate any dates later than 1855. That’s when forts started popping up in my general area but the closest one was still 70 miles from this site. Earliest soldier graffiti I’ve seen in my immediate is 1873 with a military camp being established about 25 miles away in 1879-1880. There weren’t any settlements anywhere close to this immediate area until 1882. As mentioned in an earlier post the only folks roaming around in this great vastness were native Americans and a few soldiers. I will never be able to say for sure but I now, even more so, feel like this was probably lost by a Native.
Thanks for all the help to everyone!!

I agree with your statement….”never be able to say for sure….”, very well could have been Indian, but also could have been lost in 1880 by a settler or a trapper/explorer in 1820. That’s one of the agonizing issues with this hobby… as often as not, you just can’t confirm.