CW Button?

[OxShoeDrew]

Hi,
I bought this button for my dad. He's always been a CW buff and I thought it would interest him. The dealer says it's a "Civil War button." How do they know? Could it have been made in 1866? Would it be more appropriate to say CW "era?" Thanks!

[The Rebel]

I'm no expert if it's CW or Post CW but it's a General Service Button (No branch ID: I, C, D, A)

Here's a link: Ridgeway Reference Library, Civil War plates and buckles (relicman.com)

[del]

Drew , the backmark really lets on to what it dates to but there is sometimes subtle "tells" from the eagle that some can go by .

Me ? I unfortunately don't dig enough of them to be that good at spotting them from the front unless their pretty obvious.

Dan

[OxShoeDrew]

Thanks, guys! Roger, there seems to be variations within the gen enlisted buttons. I'll have to look more closely, thanks!
Dan, I attached a back pic. All I know is it was made in CT. Thanks!

[fyrffytr1]

I thought this would bean easy one to answer but it isn't. At least not for me. The general service eagle button came out in 1854 but the backmark you show dates to the 1840s. This is a cuff button isn't it? The only thing else I can find is that according toTice " Some old backs with Scovills may have been used during the early 50s". That would explain the post 1854 front on the pre 1850 back. To me that makes the button all the more interesting.

[OxShoeDrew]

Thanks, fyrffytr1! It does make it interesting!
Yes, it's a cuff.

[OxShoeDrew]

Somebody fyrffytr1 pointed me to a guy who said-
"Yes that button is a perfect example of what a civil war enlisted man would have worn on his uniform. Generaly that is the size that would have been worn on the cuff or on a cap to hold the chin strap on. Sometimes they were worn on shirts as well. The truth is those buttons were manufactured from about 1858 through the mid-1870s and were worn on uniforms throughout that entire time until they changed in the mid 1870s. It's absolutely impossible to tell whether a specific button like that was worn during the Civil War unless you find it on a civil war uniform or headgear or unless you find it with a metal detector on a civil war camp site. This is one of the reasons why people who excavate buttons tend to prefer them because they know that those buttons were in use. It is also one of the many reasons how we know which buttons were used during the War."

Interesting about collectors wanting dug examples.

[fyrffytr1]

Here is one tray of my bullet collection. I hope your dad will like what I send him. All came from camps around Hagerstown, Md. Hagerstown was in the middle of Antietam, Harper's Ferry, Gettysburg and South Mountain.

[OxShoeDrew]

We see "treasures" posted every day here at AD...but the real treasure is people like you! I can't hope to learn what some of you know here, but when it comes to buttons, you're the expert....and you're a bullet digging machine!
PS your info on my button was more specific than even the "pros" on FB. You're the pro!!

[fyrffytr1]

I can't take credit for all the bullets. I inherited a lot from my last remaining brother when he passed away in 2019. As for the buttons I rely on my ability to read the books I have and also use the knowledge of the good folks on many different websites. But, thank you for the praise.

[The Rebel]

Fyrffytr1, you da man! That is a wonderful thing you did!

[del]

Here is one tray of my bullet collection. I hope your dad will like what I send him. All came from camps around Hagerstown, Md. Hagerstown was in the middle of Antietam, Harper's Ferry, Gettysburg and South Mountain.

You sir are a delight , that is incredibly generous

on a side note , I drive right by Hagerstown on my way to visit the inlaws

[fyrffytr1]

You sir are a delight , that is incredibly generous

on a side note , I drive right by Hagerstown on my way to visit the inlaws

There aren't many places left to hunt there now. Last time I was there was with my brother in September 2019. We found two spots that we could hunt and only pulled a couple bullets and a flat button. My brother passed away the week after I brought him back to his home in Kentucky. I don't know if I will ever get back up there.