Nice!
Looks like a oldie! The domed area at the base of the shank looks like a tombac type button. I'm no expert, so I'll let the experts confirm that.
Congrats!
Nice!
Looks like a oldie! The domed area at the base of the shank looks like a tombac type button. I'm no expert, so I'll let the experts confirm that.
Congrats!
I agree with Tim the button sure looks like a tombac . Here is a brief description of these types of button .Tombac is a coper, zinc and arsenic alloy. It is actually a type of brass buth the ratio of zinc to copper is much higher in tombac than in common brass. It was used for small articles such as candlesticks and snuffers which, when polished, have a soft silvery luster. It was intended as a cheap subsitute for silver like its close counterpart: Paktong. Since the metal is brittle, it could not be stamped and most tombac buttons are either plain or decorated with designs that have been engraved. Like the copper buttons of the day, Tombac buttons were made large (36mm) for men's coats and smaller (21 - 23 mm) for waistcoats and sleeves They tend to date from around 1760 to about 1810 .
on a side note these buttons can be found very dirty and crusty to silvery grey but most clean up very nicely to a bright silvery or grey in color.
Congrats. Tombacs are always a good find. I never get tired of digging them. Every now and then you find one with a beautiful design. It's one button you don't have to be nervous about cleaning.