Possible Rev. War USA Button

[Kirk PA]

I was looking through my buttons today and came across this pewter one. I swear I see an S on it. I do not remember where I found it, but it sure looks like a USA button. What do you guys think?

Kirk

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[Iron Patch]

Don't think there's such a button but looks like CSA small C, big S, small A. I'll try again to match it to a USA but just can't find anything in common except what looks like the S.

 

[Kirk PA]

Don't think there's such a button but looks like CSA small C, big S, small A. I'll try again to match it to a USA but just can't find anything in common except what looks like the S.

Thanks, Patch. I bet it is my USA button. It is definitely an 18th century button. The thickness also matches typical USA buttons.

Kirk

 

[Don in SJ]

Does it have any evidence of having a raised rim/border. It is slightly domed or flat? How about a full photo of the back side to show what the shank area looked like.

It does not seem to match any in Don T's book, also have you rotated the button into different positions to see if something else is noticeable?

I am leaning towards it being a Unk.

Don

 

[Kirk PA]

Does it have any evidence of having a raised rim/border. It is slightly domed or flat? How about a full photo of the back side to show what the shank area looked like.

It does not seem to match any in Don T's book, also have you rotated the button into different positions to see if something else is noticeable?

I am leaning towards it being a Unk.

Don

There is no evidence of the shank, but I do believe I can see part of the rim. We have hunted many Rev. war veterans dwellings and I probably have found one. I just will not know for sure.

Kirk

 

[CC Hunter]

Without any evidence of a shank, the item is most likely not even a button.

The shanks on Continental cast pewter buttons are really substantial, and much heftier than we see on later period buttons. The profile, metal composition, and look, does not lead me towards a Colonial pewter button. Possibly a melted and flattened piece of pewter or lead alloy.

CC Hunter

 

[Iron Patch]

Without any evidence of a shank, the item is most likely not even a button.

The shanks on Continental cast pewter buttons are really substantial, and much heftier than we see on later period buttons. The profile, metal composition, and look, does not lead me towards a Colonial pewter button. Possibly a melted and flattened piece of pewter or lead alloy.

CC Hunter

I was thinking too thick and slightly convex, and other than what looks like the S, there's nothing else that matches.

But you know there's one out there somewhere in PA!

 

[Don in SJ]

From reading Don T's narrative, USA buttons were of high quality and I gathered some of the ones posted here prior and added yours in the center. So hard to say, but from the ones in all the photos in his book and these examples, it seems that they are centered whereas your possible S seems low, just do not what to make of it, best thing to do is send photos to Don T and see if he replies positively or negatively.

Don

 

[Kirk PA]

From reading Don T's narrative, USA buttons were of high quality and I gathered some of the ones posted here prior and added yours in the center. So hard to say, but from the ones in all the photos in his book and these examples, it seems that they are centered whereas your possible S seems low, just do not what to make of it, best thing to do is send photos to Don T and see if he replies positively or negatively.

Don

Thanks, Don. I did email him and he said, "It is possible." He also stated that it is hard to tell.

Kirk

 

[Iron Patch]

From reading Don T's narrative, USA buttons were of high quality and I gathered some of the ones posted here prior and added yours in the center. So hard to say, but from the ones in all the photos in his book and these examples, it seems that they are centered whereas your possible S seems low, just do not what to make of it, best thing to do is send photos to Don T and see if he replies positively or negatively.

Don

When there's so much edge loss you can't really say the S is low. My gut wants to say no but that S with the line through it is hard to ignore!

 

[Kirk PA]

From reading Don T's narrative, USA buttons were of high quality and I gathered some of the ones posted here prior and added yours in the center. So hard to say, but from the ones in all the photos in his book and these examples, it seems that they are centered whereas your possible S seems low, just do not what to make of it, best thing to do is send photos to Don T and see if he replies positively or negatively.

Don

When there's so much edge loss you can't really say the S is low. My gut wants to say no but that S with the line through it is hard to ignore!

Does that mean you believe it was a USA button before being in the ground?

Kirk

 

[Iron Patch]

From reading Don T's narrative, USA buttons were of high quality and I gathered some of the ones posted here prior and added yours in the center. So hard to say, but from the ones in all the photos in his book and these examples, it seems that they are centered whereas your possible S seems low, just do not what to make of it, best thing to do is send photos to Don T and see if he replies positively or negatively.

Don

When there's so much edge loss you can't really say the S is low. My gut wants to say no but that S with the line through it is hard to ignore!

Does that mean you believe it was a USA button before being in the ground?

Kirk

Not anymore than I believe it's a USA now.

 

[Kirk PA]

From reading Don T's narrative, USA buttons were of high quality and I gathered some of the ones posted here prior and added yours in the center. So hard to say, but from the ones in all the photos in his book and these examples, it seems that they are centered whereas your possible S seems low, just do not what to make of it, best thing to do is send photos to Don T and see if he replies positively or negatively.

Don

When there's so much edge loss you can't really say the S is low. My gut wants to say no but that S with the line through it is hard to ignore!

Does that mean you believe it was a USA button before being in the ground?

Kirk

Not anymore than I believe it's a USA now.

How confident are you, Patch? State your reasons.

Kirk

 

[CC Hunter]

The semi-circular detail that creates an outline on this object, can certainly begin to resemble a partial S or U, if one looks long enough with one eye closed (rather like looking at clouds and seeing all sorts of things ).

I believe though, what we are seeing in that semi-circle though, is just an illusion created by a crumbling material along with a raised area. Over the years, I've seen and dug quite a few Rev War buttons, including several Continental USA examples. Usually Colonial era pewter buttons begin to crumble on the edge first, and the center area will be nearly as smooth as the day they were made. The item in question here, still retains a nearly complete circular shape, and yet the surface it bubbly like and somewhat flaky. This is completely opposite of what we would normally seen in most recovered Rev War buttons.

Here is one of my best Continental USA buttons, and an unusually rare variety at that.

CC Hunter

 

[Iron Patch]

The semi-circular detail that creates an outline on this object, can certainly begin to resemble a partial S or U, if one looks long enough with one eye closed (rather like looking at clouds and seeing all sorts of things ).

I believe though, what we are seeing in that semi-circle though, is just an illusion created by a crumbling material along with a raised area. Over the years, I've seen and dug quite a few Rev War buttons, including several Continental USA examples. Usually Colonial era pewter buttons begin to crumble on the edge first, and the center area will be nearly as smooth as the day they were made. The item in question here, still retains a nearly complete circular shape, and yet the surface it bubbly like and somewhat flaky. This is completely opposite of what we would normally seen in most recovered Rev War buttons.

Here is one of my best Continental USA buttons, and an unusually rare variety at that.

CC Hunter

Yes, I can confirm that is a USA.

 

[Steve in PA]

Kirk, I am leaning to CC Hunter's opinion on your piece. Here is one I found in a corn field in Jefferson County WV. It has significant edge loss but, there is still a monster shank on the back and the face is still relatively smooth.