old button?

[Moe (fl)]

Is this a button?

It is the size of a nickel and made of copper/brass.

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

Hello Moe. Are you hunting the Treasure Coast or closer to Saint Augustine? It appears convex and you may have found a late 17th century Spanish button. Another very nice find. http://www.artifacts.org/ Click on 1650-1700.

Convex Rimmed Forms

In almost all cases, excavated examples of buttons of this period retain only small lumps of rust where their iron wire eyes were once located. This type of shank was replaced by integrally cast shanks with drilled eyes at the beginning of the 18th century. The most commonly encountered button form of the period was convex with a small outer rim...

 

[kyphote]

I found this off the charleston coast but yours is better crafted. No markings on mine, so I could never ID.

 

[ivan salis]

old spanish button -- congrats -- iron wire loop had brass convex body

 

[CRUSADER]

size will give it away, looks like a tack head

 

[Ramitt]

size will give it away, looks like a tack head

It kinds of does, but would a tack have a brass head and iron shaft? Looks like rust on the back, much like mentioned above.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

size will give it away, looks like a tack head

It kinds of does, but would a tack have a brass head and iron shaft? Looks like rust on the back, much like mentioned above.

I think so my friend. I find them like this too. It could be an old furniture tack. I have seen these embedded in old fire arms as well. it could be a lot of things I guess.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Large tack. Found in St.Augustine, its a good chance its a button. Do you find brass tacks this large?

 

[CRUSADER]

Large tack. Found in St.Augustine, its a good chance its a button. Do you find brass tacks this large?

All sizes, some very big.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I guess it could be a tack. But Moe has found old Spanish items where he searches.

 

[Moe (fl)]

Thanks for the replies. I posted 3 more pictures for reference.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I am not personally familiar with these 17th century Spanish buttons but it looks a lot more rounded with the new pics. You could always take it to the Sebastian museum.

 

[Ramitt]

There's also the possibilty the iron isn't even related to the button.

ya, there is that.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Well it certainly does not look like the Spanish buttons in the link. I have also never seen any tacks with traces of iron, and that's both the small ones we dig from our late 18th century sites, as well as some larger UK ones. (Not sure when they date)

I have some old brass tacks with steel shafts. The shafts attract a magnet.. I use them to mark trees when I am hunting but the shafts rust and they fall off. They are much smaller though.

Sorry Moe, with the new pics it looks like a very large tack.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I think the tacks I have are not that old.

 

[Moe (fl)]

I think it is a button. I read that domed buttons were common throughout the 18th and into the early 19th century.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

It seems that only the modern tacks have steel shafts and I cant imagine a modern tack this large. Can anybody show an example of a modern tack this large?

 

[timekiller]

Here you go Big C,the top ones I call tacks the ones at the bottom are spanish buttons cause they fit the size and weight as well.The buttons of this kind are very heavy made. So my two sense are that his is a tack head.These three I found came from where I found spanish cobs as well so purdy sure they are the buttons of this time frame.Hope this helps!

 

[CRUSADER]

Here you go Big C,the top ones I call tacks the ones at the bottom are spanish buttons cause they fit the size and weight as well.The buttons of this kind are very heavy made. So my two sense are that his is a tack head.These three I found came from where I found spanish cobs as well so purdy sure they are the buttons of this time frame.Hope this helps!

exactly & notice the difference in where the shank means the button - raised platform - not evident on his example

 

[timekiller]

Here you go Big C,the top ones I call tacks the ones at the bottom are spanish buttons cause they fit the size and weight as well.The buttons of this kind are very heavy made. So my two sense are that his is a tack head.These three I found came from where I found spanish cobs as well so purdy sure they are the buttons of this time frame.Hope this helps!

exactly & notice the difference in where the shank means the button - raised platform - not evident on his example

Yea I think that the ones like his were used on trunks and sorts from what I've seen on them.Like the big one of mine that has the gold gilt left.