Waterbury Button Age?

[gtoast99]

I'm trying to get an age on this button, and finding all the styles pretty confusing. The back reads "Waterbury Button Co"

I also posted the two from the Waterbury website that I think it's closest to.

#1 Union Eagle, Staff, Civil War era
http://www.waterburybutton.com/cart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=84&idproduct=16594
#2 Eagle w/ Stars (Old Army), post Civil War era
http://www.waterburybutton.com/cart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=87&idproduct=19167#details

It seems the easiest way to tell them apart would be the eagle's head, which of course is the place on mine where it's damaged and detail is lost.

The shield on the CW era one is smaller width-wise relative to height than the modern one. Mine looks *more* like the modern one in that pic, but somewhat in between! If I hold the button at the angle in the first picture it appears to narrow out relative to the height (optical illusion or something) and look more like the CW era button. I'll try to get a pic from this angle later.

Last but not least, the tail feathers on the modern one seem to curve in away from his legs more than in the CW button, but it's hard to see that detail in the CW era pic. In any case, my button definitely appears to have a more flat tail fan than the more modern button.

Any thoughts? Any idea on if it would be possible to date from the back stamp? Thanks so much!

 

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[creskol]

does the button have one or two stars after the CO.?

Looks like 1870-1900 version from what I can tell.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

All the buttons on the Waterbury site are modern so its hard to compare to that.

There are many differences in the eagles wings, tail feathers and shield caused by the different manufacturers. Maybe even within the same company over the years.

The best way to date your button I think is by the variations in the backmark. I think thats the direction creskol is heading. VaYank and some others are very knowlegable and should be along shortly to help.

 

[gtoast99]

Thanks for the help!
To be honest, it looks like 3 stars. One for sure, the other two are less clear, and I could be convinced they could be defects or scratches... but it looks like 3.

I've included 2 more pics of the back that I've edited in photoshop to up the brightness and contrast. Hopefully this will help!
Thanks again!

 

[creskol]

Thanks for the clearer photos.. that would make it a little later, from 1890 to post 1900

 

[gtoast99]

Thanks!! How far post 1900? Is there a good book or (preferably) website for looking up the back stamps?

 

[vayank54]

Welcome to Tnet The backmark on the button dates 1890 to post 1900 but I don't know how far past 1900 is goes. One way to tell the button is post civil war is the eagle's head and neck. I've never seen a civil war staff with that head and neck on the eagle. As far as I know all civil war period stamped Waterbury Button co. backmarks will also have the word EXTRA. There is one that has WATERBURY BUTTON CO EXTRA that has a rope like ring around the shank as far as I know this one is slightly post civil war. Raised Waterbury marks with out the word extra are civil war or earlier though. I hope this info helps

 

[BuckleBoy]

Thanks!! How far post 1900? Is there a good book or (preferably) website for looking up the back stamps?

The information on the web is Inaccurate when it comes to button backmarks. The book you want to buy is Tice's "Uniform Buttons of the United States 1776-1865"


Best Wishes,


Buckles

 

[vayank54]

Buckle boy is right on the websites. Most are to general or have mistakes.

 

[McGator]

I have a very similar button. It has no extra but it does have a J * ʌ Any thoughts on this. Found it years ago but am just going through some old finds

 

[duggap]

The book I use for backmarks is "American Military Button Makers and Dealers; Their Backmarks and Dates", by McGuinn and Bazelon.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

The book I use for backmarks is "American Military Button Makers and Dealers; Their Backmarks and Dates", by McGuinn and Bazelon.

I have that book and it has a button picture with this backmark with 3 stars and it dates 1890-post-1900

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

BigCypressHunter, I'm just trying to be helpful... There's a very important difference between the backmark in that McGuinn-&-Bazelon backmark-book photo and Gtoast99's button's backmark... the serifed lettering and non-serifed lettering. Unfortunately Gtoast's button backmark is not shown in the McGuinn-&-Bazelon book. In addition to the non-serifed backmark, Gtoast's 3-piece button has what button-collectors call the "narrow" version of applied rim. So, despite lacking the word "Extra" in the backmark, I think his button dates to sometime between the latter part of the civil war into the 1870s... after which time, the wide applied rim almost entirely superceded the narrow rim on US Army Staff Officer buttons.

To see the "wide" rim version, check the Waterbury Button Company's website for the photo, "Union Eagle, Staff, Civil War Era." By the way, the website is wrong... having the wide version of applied rim means that their Waterbury US Army Staff Officer button is a post-civil-war version.
http://www.waterburybutton.com/cart/...dproduct=16594

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Very good information. I didnt even notice the lack of serifs. This was a very old thread that the I was led back to from a button photo in another. I found the book you gave me and I was too quick to make a judgement.