What is this Colonial era button?

[naoma]

This button found in York County, southern Maine. Poor condition.


Shank detail


Cannon wheel at bottom?

Feathers? right and left above wheel.


Center of button possibly an 8 and a 4?

 

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[CRUSADER]

Looks like a civilian 'dandy' button - circa 1780s-90s

 

[johnnyi]

Please don't try to clean it any more Naoma. You and Crusader are right about the period, and it is the size and thickness of a "dandy" button, but it seems a notch or two above one. Most "dandy" buttons have concentric designs; circles, snowflakes, rays, stars, etc., and rarely if ever have something like your's...an off centered specic image, unless they are political. It doesn't seem to match any Washington buttons listed in Albert, but it is definately worth identifying. It should be possible with what's showing already. Further "cleaning" won't help.

 

[Silver Searcher]

Please don't try to clean it any more Naoma. You and Crusader are right about the period, and it is the size and thickness of a "dandy" button, but it seems a notch or two above one. Most "dandy" buttons have concentric designs; circles, snowflakes, rays, stars, etc., and rarely if ever have something like your's...an off centered specic image, unless they are political. It doesn't seem to match any Washington buttons listed in Albert, but it is definately worth identifying. It should be possible with what's showing already. Further "cleaning" won't help.

I was wondering if the round things in the first picture..could they be Cannon Balls and I wouldn't clean it either, anymore

SS

 

[naoma]

Please don't try to clean it any more Naoma. You and Crusader are right about the period, and it is the size and thickness of a "dandy" button, but it seems a notch or two above one. Most "dandy" buttons have concentric designs; circles, snowflakes, rays, stars, etc., and rarely if ever have something like your's...an off centered specic image, unless they are political. It doesn't seem to match any Washington buttons listed in Albert, but it is definately worth identifying. It should be possible with what's showing already. Further "cleaning" won't help.

I was wondering if the round things in the first picture..could they be Cannon Balls and I wouldn't clean it either, anymore

SS

All of the above info is great. What I thought might be cannon balls would be the little "pile" of indentations to the right of center bottom of the wheel -- which I found to be consistent with cannon wheels on buttons of the same era -- though I guess all wheels were spoked. Political? Feathers and a cannon? French and Indian War? I could imagine buttons offered to local natives as a gesture of military solidarity. But that would be pure speculation. I am not a historian by any measure!
naoma
[/quote

 

[vayank54]

That button has some strange detail for the type of button it is. I thought maybe it was some kind of diplomatic or political button but I couldn't find anything close. It is possible it is a civilian button, maybe foreign. I have no idea on this one.
I would agree with everyone one else as to not cleaning it anymore. You might put some dry dirt, talcom powder or baby powder on it and lightly brush or blow the powder off. That might bring out some more detail with out hurting the button. There is another way but I only use it as a last ditch effort when nothing else works and I really want to know what something is. You can rub it with a pencil eraser and that should bring out the high points. It will make it shiney in some areas which is not really what you want but I've had times when that was the only thing that worked. And yes there have been times when it hasn't worked either. Hopefully someone will be able to ID it.

 

[naoma]

Thanks. Just tried powder with minimal luck. There are other toolings or imprints obviously intentional, but none that I can make any sense of. Such as a string of spaced indentations to the right of the "wheel" and paralleling the feather above. I had previously used a pencil eraser which shined some high points, but didn't help define anything.

 

[vayank54]

I'm sorry the powder didn't work. I was hoping it would. I looked through what books I have a couldn't find anything with that detail. Some of those buttons had flower designs and I guess even though it does looks like feather they could be leaves. It looks like it would have been an elaborate design for that type of button though. Maybe you'll find a better one next time you go to that spot. I'm not good at it but I wonder if changing the tint or tone or whatever of the pic might bring out something we can't see now. I don't know if that would work or not just a thought.

 

[CRUSADER]

I'm sorry the powder didn't work. I was hoping it would. I looked through what books I have a couldn't find anything with that detail. Some of those buttons had flower designs and I guess even though it does looks like feather they could be leaves. It looks like it would have been an elaborate design for that type of button though. Maybe you'll find a better one next time you go to that spot. I'm not good at it but I wonder if changing the tint or tone or whatever of the pic might bring out something we can't see now. I don't know if that would work or not just a thought.

I've always thought it looks more flower like & thats in keeping with this period button.

 

[DCMatt]

I posted, then removed, now I'm posting again.

I think it is a bird sitting on a branch - possibly a peacock. But you have to take the first pic and rotate it 180 degrees.

That puts 3 plumes on the bird's head.

Or maybe I have too much imagination...

DCMatt

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

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[naoma]

Just freshening the post in case there are new eyes and new ideas. Hope all of you had wonderful holidays! Looks like a promising new year.

 

[Iron Patch]

Just freshening the post in case there are new eyes and new ideas. Hope all of you had wonderful holidays! Looks like a promising new year.

Ok here's your new eyes, looks like a cornucopia design to me. Very popular in the late 18th century.

 

[CRUSADER]

Just freshening the post in case there are new eyes and new ideas. Hope all of you had wonderful holidays! Looks like a promising new year.

Ok here's your new eyes, looks like a cornucopia design to me. Very popular in the late 18th century.

time for a green check, its circa 1780s 'Dandy' Button

 

[naoma]

Thanks guys! I'll take this focus forward and research it.

 

[Bramblefind]

I posted, then removed, now I'm posting again.

I think it is a bird sitting on a branch - possibly a peacock. But you have to take the first pic and rotate it 180 degrees.

That puts 3 plumes on the bird's head.

Or maybe I have too much imagination...

DCMatt

I think I see what you're saying... and there would be feathers and leaves ? I'm sure there is a better example out there to compare it to but this is a possible start.

 

[Don in SJ]

Like the one I am posting, I believe yours is a large flower design button. The one I am showing here is huge, 35.5mm, and I cannot make rhyme or reason out of the design.

Almost all of the large buttons, say 28mm and larger have some sort of design on them, sometimes a good cleaning and magnifier is needed to see it, since sometimes the design was lightly impressed or engraved, and worn down to almost not visible.

Don

 

[Bramblefind]

Now I see a rooster-

 

[CRUSADER]

Like the one I am posting, I believe yours is a large flower design button. The one I am showing here is huge, 35.5mm, and I cannot make rhyme or reason out of the design.

Almost all of the large buttons, say 28mm and larger have some sort of design on them, sometimes a good cleaning and magnifier is needed to see it, since sometimes the design was lightly impressed or engraved, and worn down to almost not visible.

Don

As Don says, its just a radom sprig of foliage.
Quite common in that era.