✅ SOLVED Strange US Army Button from Latvia

[Bigcypresshunter]

I noticed these 3 WWI Great Seal US Army buttons on eBay. The seller is from Latvia. WW 1 United States Army Uniform Buttons | eBay

Look at the large button on the left. The backmark appears to say GILT and there are 5 stars on each side. Does anyone recognize it? There appears to be 2 or 3 letters or initials. Its an odd Great Seal button backmark IMO.
View attachment 633615

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

I think the button with the ***GILT*** backmark is a repair-job, combining the empty face of a Great Seal button with an 1820s/30s brass 1-piece "flat" button.

My reasoning:
1- With the caution-note that I do NOT believe I've seen absolutely every version of Great Seal button ... I've never seen a Great Seal button with a Raised-Mark-in-Depressed-Channel (RMDC) backmark -- but of course there are plenty of early-1800s brass 1-piece "flat" buttons with RMDC backmarks.
2- Note the rough irregularity of the "crimping" of the button's front onto the back.
3- Also note the white-ish "grunge" at the edges of the irregular crimping -- could it be glue?
4- In the back-side photo, note that the color of the patina on the back and the front's rim is not the same color.
5- Note how tiny the loop on it is, in comparison to the larger loops on both of the two SMALLER-SIZE Great Seal Buttons.
6- Lastly... as you know, the word GILT in a backmark means the button's front was gold-gilted ...but the photo shows not even the slightest trace of gold gilt on that button.

 

[Diggit]

Those are interesting. I wonder if they are from the "Polar Bear Expedition" (American North Russia Expeditionary Force) which fought in Russian Civil war in 1918-1919.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Thanks CBG. I was wondering if it was genuine Great Seal backmark. It appears someone repaired a button by crimping it onto another.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Those are interesting. I wonder if they are from the "Polar Bear Expedition" (American North Russia Expeditionary Force) which fought in Russian Civil war in 1918-1919.

I dont know. Im assuming they were found in Latvia.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Those are interesting. I wonder if they are from the "Polar Bear Expedition" (American North Russia Expeditionary Force) which fought in Russian Civil war in 1918-1919.

I dont know but everything the seller has on eBay is dug.