VERY SMALL, FLAT, ONE PIECE, ULTRA THIN, COPPER COLONIAL BUTTON

[frank.e.white]

CAN ANYONE IDENTIFY THE VERY SMALL (9MM), FLAT, ULTRA THIN, ONE PIECE BUTTON ON THE LEFT......SORRY IN ADVANCE FOR THE QUALITY OF THE PHOTOS......TX FRANK

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Minelab PRO-FIND 35 Waterproof Pinpointer Metal Detector for Experts with Tone ID & Adjustable Sensitivity - Grab it through Amazon!

[CRUSADER]

These are both Tombac Buttons & the vast majority of them are late 18th C.

 

[Ant]

18 Century Wow, great finds from the 1700's .

 

[frank.e.white]

Hi Crusader is there any difference between a Tombac button and a Dandy button......other than the chemical composition of these buttons?

 

[CRUSADER]

Hi Crusader is there any difference between a Tombac button and a Dandy button......other than the chemical composition of these buttons?

Yes, there size for starters.

 

[frank.e.white]

No problem with a Tombac button being 32mm in diameter (my large button on the right)? From what I read, Tombac buttons never, or rarely, are 32mm......

Here is a definition for Tombac:
Tombac, as it is spelled in French, or Tombak, is a brass alloy with high copper content and 5-20% zinc content.[1] Tin, lead or arsenic may be added for colouration.[2][3] It is a cheap malleable alloy mainly used for medals, ornament, decoration and some munitions. In older use, the term may apply to brass alloy with a zinc content as high as 28%-35%.

I am going to get my two buttons XRF'ed to see if they have this "older" chemical composition......of having a zinc composition of 28% to 35% .......rest copper with a pinch of other elements

 

[CRUSADER]

I have some very large Tombac's in the 'Dandy' range which only highlights they are made during that fashionable period of the 18th C.

 

[frank.e.white]

Great to know Crusader!!!!! Tombac's as large as 32mm in diameter?

 

[CRUSADER]

Great to know Crusader!!!!! Tombac's as large as 32mm in diameter?

Funny enough my largest 2 Tombac's (1 decorated & 1 plain) are exactly 32mm.

 

[sutphin]

NICE BUTTON FINDS THERE NEW MEMBER ....

 

[frank.e.white]

Hi Crusader LAST QUESTION ON THESE BUTTONS .........IF TOMBACS CAN BE 32MM LIKE DANDYS...........WHAT ARE OTHER DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TOMBACS AND COLONIAL COPPERS (DANDYS) FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES, OTHER THAN THE METAL CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THEIR MAKEUP? THANKS

 

[tamrock]

Thanks Cruse I got to learn something this morning. Neat find Frank

 

[CRUSADER]

Hi Crusader LAST QUESTION ON THESE BUTTONS .........IF TOMBACS CAN BE 32MM LIKE DANDYS...........WHAT ARE OTHER DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TOMBACS AND COLONIAL COPPERS (DANDYS) FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES, OTHER THAN THE METAL CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THEIR MAKEUP? THANKS

The metal type is copper-alloy (not tombac), high copper content, the loops are braised/soldered direct (with no raised platform like most tombacs) to the 1 piece button & most are sheffield plated silver or gold - with patterns, some plain.

 

[frank.e.white]

sorry to be dense Tombac chemical content 70% copper Zinc 30% Dandy chemical content 97% copper other 3%..............do I have this right?

Tombac a raised platform "cone" to loop Dandy no raised platform "cone" to loop (soldered direct).....do I have this right?

Which is most often sliver or gold plated The Dandy or Tombac?

Which is more often plain and un-decorated The Dandy or Tombac

 

[CRUSADER]

sorry to be dense Tombac chemical content 70% copper Zinc 30% Dandy chemical content 97% copper other 3%..............do I have this right? Seems about right, but will vary.

Tombac a raised platform "cone" to loop Dandy no raised platform "cone" to loop (soldered direct).....do I have this right? Yes

Which is most often sliver or gold plated The Dandy or Tombac? Tombac's are never plated, so I thought obivous.

Which is more often plain and un-decorated The Dandy or Tombac

Most Dandys are decorated but you do get some plain plated. Most Tombacs are plain but you get lots of various decorated types (most machined, some hand incised), including animals & hunting scenes.

 

[CRUSADER]

A picture paints.....

Spot the row of 'Dandy's'? & then spot the row of Tombacs.

 

[CRUSADER]

Can we mark as solved yet?

 

[frank.e.white]

Crusader so the Copper Colonial buttons have this type of loop attachment [see photo].......loop soldered directly into the button, with no mounded "cone like" attachment for the loop like with the Tombacs, correct?

 

[CRUSADER]

View attachment 1229223

Crusader so the Copper Colonial buttons have this type of loop attachment [see photo].......loop soldered directly into the button, with no mounded "cone like" attachment for the loop like with the Tombacs, correct?

Yes, thats a mid-late 18th C type.