scavengor
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I found this old button couple days ago... It says "IMPERIAL QUALITY" on the back... Can someone date it and give me a value please... Thanks in advance!
old button
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HutSiteDigger
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It resembles a American federal navy button which date from i believe 1790s to the War of 1812 and slightly after.. However - the shield on yours is one i have never seen before!! but, i am sure it should be in Albert's book (which i can't jump to the shelf and look @ since i am not at the house.. I am sure there will be others on here who can ID it for you in a jiff...) good luck.
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HutSiteDigger
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TheCannonballGuy
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Your button is shown in the button-book by Alphaeus H. Albert as a US Navy button, listed as NA-67A. Based on the only known specimens of that specific button with a maker's-name in the backmark (Lewis & Tomes), your button was made in England sometime between 1816 and the late-1820s. Because your excavated button's condition is quite exceptionally nice for an excavated one, having VERY nearly all of its gold gilt (goldplating) remaining on it, its dollar value to a collector of post-War-Of-1812 pre-civil-war American Military buttons is somewhere between $100 and $150, depending on whether or not it still has the thread-loop on its back. A button-dealer who wants to buy it for re-sale would of course pay somewhat less for it.
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scavengor
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1810 EARLY U.S. NAVY MILITARY UNIFORM BUTTON NA-57
wonder what this one like it went for... just saying
wonder what this one like it went for... just saying
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HomeGuardDan
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I would not put the value anywhere near $1,500. It is a nice button in great condition. CannonBallGuy is right on, $100-$150
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HutSiteDigger
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Found it by typing in google "1820s navy button" and going to " images" on google search
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TheCannonballGuy
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Scavengor wrote:
> What do you base you value on... had a buddie tell me it was rare and had a 1500.00 value to it.
> If it not in Alberts [button-book] then it not common...
But your button IS in the Albert button-book... and I even gave you his book's number for it (NA-67A).
You asked what I based your dug US Navy button's value on. In addition to being a civil war relic digger for almost 40 years, I've been a relic dealer (including dug and non-dug Military buttons) for almost that long. I base the current dollar-value on what I see "major" dealers of historical Military buttons pricing them at, and what the buttons have sold for. A longtime friend of mine, William Leigh, is a collector and dealer who specializes in early-American (colonial through civil war) Military buttons. In fact, he is the "biggest" dealer of them. In researching your button's value, I checked his sales-website's section of dug and non-dug early US Navy buttons. Please keep in mind that pre-1840s buttons in NON-DUG CONDITION are rarer (and thus tend to be worth more) than dug ones. Mr. Leigh did not currently have a dug specimen of your NA-67A button... just non-dug ones. Go here:
William Leigh: Dragoons, Riflemen and Navy Buttons
The first part of that webpage shows buttons which are currently for sale. Therefore, the prices are his ASKING price. The lower part of that webpage shows ones which he has already sold. That tells you how much money they actually "brought." And remember, non-dug pre-1840s buttons are rarer than dug ones.
Auction-results are not reliable for determining a button's "market value." People who go to auctions tend not to know what a pre-1840s button would sell for at a relic-show (or a relic-dealer's website). For example, I've seen plain old 12-Pounder Solid-Shot cannonballs sell for $300 at auctions... but you can buy a GUARANTEED-GENUINE one at any civil war relic shows for $150.
By the way, some of those high-priced Auction cannonballs were not actually cannonballs -- they were Sports Shot Put balls, and Mill-Balls (from the civilian Mining-&-Stonemilling industry. But, pitiful Auction suckers paid hundreds of dollars for them. Like I said, Auction sales-reports are NOT a reliable indicator of an object's value.
> What do you base you value on... had a buddie tell me it was rare and had a 1500.00 value to it.
> If it not in Alberts [button-book] then it not common...
But your button IS in the Albert button-book... and I even gave you his book's number for it (NA-67A).
You asked what I based your dug US Navy button's value on. In addition to being a civil war relic digger for almost 40 years, I've been a relic dealer (including dug and non-dug Military buttons) for almost that long. I base the current dollar-value on what I see "major" dealers of historical Military buttons pricing them at, and what the buttons have sold for. A longtime friend of mine, William Leigh, is a collector and dealer who specializes in early-American (colonial through civil war) Military buttons. In fact, he is the "biggest" dealer of them. In researching your button's value, I checked his sales-website's section of dug and non-dug early US Navy buttons. Please keep in mind that pre-1840s buttons in NON-DUG CONDITION are rarer (and thus tend to be worth more) than dug ones. Mr. Leigh did not currently have a dug specimen of your NA-67A button... just non-dug ones. Go here:
William Leigh: Dragoons, Riflemen and Navy Buttons
The first part of that webpage shows buttons which are currently for sale. Therefore, the prices are his ASKING price. The lower part of that webpage shows ones which he has already sold. That tells you how much money they actually "brought." And remember, non-dug pre-1840s buttons are rarer than dug ones.
Auction-results are not reliable for determining a button's "market value." People who go to auctions tend not to know what a pre-1840s button would sell for at a relic-show (or a relic-dealer's website). For example, I've seen plain old 12-Pounder Solid-Shot cannonballs sell for $300 at auctions... but you can buy a GUARANTEED-GENUINE one at any civil war relic shows for $150.
By the way, some of those high-priced Auction cannonballs were not actually cannonballs -- they were Sports Shot Put balls, and Mill-Balls (from the civilian Mining-&-Stonemilling industry. But, pitiful Auction suckers paid hundreds of dollars for them. Like I said, Auction sales-reports are NOT a reliable indicator of an object's value.
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- Mar 5, 2010
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Here's a link to an old auction for a button like yours. Estimate was $50-$100 and starting bid was $50.00 I am not registered on this the site so I can't tell what the actual selling price was, if it sold.
U.S. Navy Federalist officer button Circa 1820 : Lot 75
U.S. Navy Federalist officer button Circa 1820 : Lot 75
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HutSiteDigger
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Also- inaugural buttons like George Washingtons...
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Silver Searcher
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Nice Button 
It's often a big mistake to think something you have found is worth more than it actually is, be grateful you dug a 1800's button in fantastic condition, because you probably will never dig another as good.
SS
It's often a big mistake to think something you have found is worth more than it actually is, be grateful you dug a 1800's button in fantastic condition, because you probably will never dig another as good.SS
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