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I found this button yesterday at a mid 1800s site. I couldn't tell what it was until I cleaned it using electrolysis. I think I remember seeing something like this before. At first I thought it was a house on a hill but a friend suggested that it may be a fort instead.
The back was full of crud but I think there is loop visible now. It may have been iron or tin backed.
The only thing I know is people used to hand etch buttons during colonial times. I've found a few and Dan explained they did that. It looks like yours is a one piece with the shank in tact and the lines look similar to the ones I've found. Dan and others will chime in for definitive info. Congrats!!
Thanks for that information. It would be a special button if it really is homemade. Here is a close up of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by OxShoeDrew
It is hard to see from the picture of the button but there is a pennant flying to the left of the vertical bar at the top of the roof and the wavy lines on the left side are a Union flag hanging from a flag pole. This button is getting more and more interesting.
I would agree the button is a very interesting one and the motif does resemble an old timber type "blockhouse" , my only concern is the reverse as its very unclear of the base of the shank and around the raised lip so its construction is a bit ambiguous and leaves doubt to its actual age . is it dirt or clay or rust that covers most of the reverse Frank ?
Dan
It is some type of "crud" for lack of a better word. I thought it was an iron back at first but the button was full of the stuff. There was even a build up on the front. I used electrolysis to clean it this far and a dental pick to remove some from the back. I'll try to clean up the back a little more to better see the shank. If it helps this site dates from the early 1800s to the very early 1900s.The newest coin to come out of there is a 1903 Indian head cent. There is virtually no modern trash other than shot shell bases and a lot of them date back to the late 1800s. I have only dug 1 pull tab and I found the rest of the can within a 5 foot radius.
Whatever this stuff is it is extremely hard to remove. I used naval jelly and let it soak for a long time and it still didn't come off. I then used some dental pics and this is as far as I got.