Need Help With This Button ( EAGLE )

[DPBOB]

It was down 7 inches and a 1900 IH Penny was about 3 inches away from it.
Looks like the back says

S & J LONDON

Thanks for your help.......

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Cry Of The Eagle: History And Legends Of The Cherokee Indians And Their Buried Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[nhbenz]

Nice Infantry button! Steele & Johnson, around 1850's-1870's is the closest I find in Tice's.

 

[Montana Jim]

Hey Bob... does it look to you like that eagle emblem is seperate and attached to the button face? Or is the front one piece?

 

[DPBOB]

Hey Bob... does it look to you like that eagle emblem is seperate and attached to the button face? Or is the front one piece?

looks to be 2 pieces

 

[Montana Jim]

I'm having major 'puter problems... Sorry for the delay...

Hey.. I have just the face without the eagle portion of a button much like yours - the back is also missing...

I know some were made in Paris, and yours in London, but the buttons with the eagle/shield emblem that attached separately were expensive high-end custom buttons from overseas. Normally bought as a set by an officer... very gold plated.

Nice find! Even without the shank I'd say that was not an average eagle button find... WTG!

 

[Dr.MIke]

I am currently working on an article on the S & J London applied eagle buttons. Would you mind saying where this one was detected?

 

[fyrffytr1]

Alright, I will ask the question. Is anyone sure that S J stands for Steele and Johnson? I can't find anything on the internet linking the two.

 

[nhbenz]

Alright, I will ask the question. Is anyone sure that S J stands for Steele and Johnson? I can't find anything on the internet linking the two.

Page 43 of Tice's Uniform Buttons of the U.S. 1776-1865 does list this backmark as being from them.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Page 43 of Tice's Uniform Buttons of the U.S. 1776-1865 does list this backmark as being from them.

Thanks. That is the only link I have seen. I wonder why there is no mention of it in any other references like McGuinn and Bazelon's book?

 

[nhbenz]

I wonder if it's an error? I don't see any other mention of Steele & Johnson making (or having made) buttons in London. But it is mentioned that their operations were running day and night to keep up with orders during the civil war. Maybe they are incorrectly attributed? Dr. Mike, do you have information about this?