If its real its my oldest button to date

[ChrisinCT]

I hooked up with Lee today to hunt the park we have been going to recently where Lee found his beautiful gold ring a few weeks back.

Not sure how long its been a park but the entire area houses and all date back to the early 1600's.

I had gone there yesterday but the ground was frozen solid and with no way to bust through the frozen ground I turned around and went home.

Last night we had 50 degree temps and it rained for quiet a while which thankfully thawed the ground to about four inches down which made digging shallow targets easy but below that it was like chipping concrete.

Yesterday I had a good solid dime hit at nine inches but couldn't dig due to the frozen ground so while trying to relocate the spot I get a nice repeatable signal at 2. I dug my little plug and out pops a button than looks old but I had no idea what I had found till my ride home Lee calls me up and tells me it is a Royal Provincial button dating around 1780.

I see online that reproductions are being sold so I don't know if its real or not? There are no bench marks and there appears to be a seam across the back which gives me some doubt about being real. It's also in really good shape and being only 2 only furthers my doubts.

No more than a minute later and five feet from where I dug the button I get a nice strong signal again at two inches and out pops the beautiful 925 silver crucifix.

The next couple hours were spent digging junk and some clad. I had a couple really nice sounding signals but all to deep to get at until the ground thaws further.

Lee found a very nice silver chain,but Ill let him tell that story.

If anyone can shed some light on wether the button is real or a reproduction would be much appreciated.

January has been a good month detecting and I will put up a finds for January in the next couple of days.

Thanks for reading .

[del]

hey Chris , i would like very much to see a side profile of the button that shows its back and know how big across in mm. or next to a coin thats very similar in size.

Dan

[ChrisinCT]

Here you go Del. I put it on a quarter.

[del]

pictures are great Chris , my next question is ...

is the shank or button loop part of the cast button or is it a wire loop that looks set into or soldered onto the button ??

[ChrisinCT]

There is a mound around the bottom of the shank but looks to me to be one piece molded.

It's smooth rather than what a soldered shank would look like I think anyway.
The seam line on one side goes right to the bottom of the shank.

[del]

yeah its hard to make it out , so your saying that the loop is cast with the button as one whole piece . hmmmm i'm kinda up in the air about it Chris there are a few things that make me say its a copy or reproduction...

1. its a bit bigger than the stated originals (but not by a whole lot)
2. all of the ones found that are very similar were in either the south or in N.Y. area (unless you can get info that the there was a Royal Provincials presence in your immidiate area.) but its not impossible to find one up this way.
3. its in remarkable condition to be very very old (both front and reverse) but i've seen even older authentic relics and buttons in great shape too.

i really wish i could inspect it in person or you had much better pictures (sharper and in natural light to show off its true color) . there is a guy on another forum who might be able to confirm it because he has actually dug a couple of these button before (in canada) his user name is IronPatch . ask him see what he says .

Dan

[ChrisinCT]

Thanks for the info Del. ill see what I can do about getting better pictures to you.

[Thiltzy]

Keep us posted. It would be a nice find if it is authentic

[CTCDT]

That's great Chris. All I got yesterday was modern coins and pull tabs at a local park.

Good hunting.

[lee]

bloody loverly find chris and in pukka shape.
del, you know where i live i think , the park is close to my house and also extreamly close to a very historic bit of water where large very old ships would of docked to unload there wares which makes me think it would not be beyond the realms of posability that a loyalist might of been aboard one of them.
also this is the spot where 300 of rochambues troops camped (bad spelling of rochambue..... ya know,.....that french bloke..).
would i be right in saying the original buttons where cast ? if so would that have left that seam mark across the back ?

[ChrisinCT]

i really wish i could inspect it in person
Dan

I'd be more than happy to mail it to you.

[del]

I'd be more than happy to mail it to you.

you and Lee could bring it to the next club meeting this month , you would get some good opinions on it Chris.

Dan

[lee]

bloody good idear that dan,what do you think chris mate ?
errrrr.....when is the next meeting ?

[HEAVYMETALNUT]

sweet button! looks legit to me.old pewter buttons had those cast lines on the back

[del]

sweet button! looks legit to me.old pewter buttons had those cast lines on the back

Yes Dave but unfortunately the reproductions are made with the seam line as well .

[wild willy]

i agree on asking iron patch he has knolege in that area. cool looking button real or not. willy