Need help IDing a couple of buttons

[senecalisa]

Two buttons found a few years ago need help identifying. One is a postal telegraph company button in which I was curious about a year. The other one I can't quite make out what it says on the back but it looks like "horse" something. Thanks for looking and have a great day.

 

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[HutSiteDigger]

2nd one is a Union General Staff button. Looks post war but CBG can way in on that.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Everyone must be busy besides Hut. Thats HORSTMANN and the other may be WATERBURY 4650 - Waterbury Button

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Good possibility that General Staff is Civil War period. Still waiting on CBG! Yep, right now I'm not busy BiggyC. I'm chilling on I-95 right now in the median waiting for something too happen!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Had a busy day offline. That US staff-officer's button could date anywhere from 1832 to 1902, because the Horstmann company was in business for that entire time. To date that button accurately, we need to know every detail of the lettering in the backmark -- which may not be possible. Senecalisa, go to the following webpage and see if you can find an EXACT match for ALL of the spelling in the backmark. Button backmarks, W H Horstmann and Sons.

For example, does it say:
W.H. HORSTMANN
HORSTMANN
HORSTMANN's
HORSTMANN PHILA
HORSTMANN PHILa (note the small a)
HORSTMANN PHILADELPHIA
HORSTMANN NY & PHILADA
HORSTMANN BROS & CO. PHILA
HORSTMANN & SONS PHILADA
(there are many other variations)
(punctuation, such as a star-mark, is also important)

In the meantime, I will say your brass 3-piece button US staff-officer's button has what collectors call the "medium-size" flat rim around it. So, it could be either civil war era of postwar era.

 

[senecalisa]

Thank you so much for all your help.