Military Button

[pplinker]

Short hunt this morning and found an Indian head penny, couldn't read the date. Cleaned it with soft bristle brush and now you can't even tell it is an Indian head. Oh well.

This button looks old because the eagle is kind of scrawny looking. The shield has an A in the middle of it. Might be A for Army? Will post another picture when I get it cleaned up better, but I have to go someplace in 10 minutes.

Hoping someone can ID the button.

 

[Jesseray]

The A stands for artillery. looks to be 1860s/70 era

 

[pplinker]

-- moved topic --

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Pplinker, that's a nice Artillery button. It looks like it is a one piece convex button but I'm not sure from your picture.If you can make out a backmark on it I can give you a more precise date of manufacture? Also, I would be careful about cleaning it! I have found that by soaking old eagle buttons like yours in virgin olive oil for a few days and then cleaning it with a soft tooth brush and a tooth pick works best. Great find! Best of luck and...

Happy hunting!
Blind Squirrel

 

[pplinker]

Thank you both for the information, Jesseray and blind squirrel. It is two piece.

My husband insisted on buying me a tumbler just today and he's had the button in there for about an hour. I think i'll go get it out.

 

[bootyhoundpa]

I would not recommend tumbling as they can be paper thin,you might tumble a hole in it... cool find...

 

[Blind Squirrel]

You hunt some good ground pplinker and have made some really nice finds. I'd hate to see you take a nice old coin or relic that's worth $100 and tumble it and reduce its value to $5. The tumbler is good for clad coins and memorials. I just wanted to give you a heads-up on that . Best of luck and...

Happy Hunting!
Blind Squirrel

 

[pplinker]

Thank you booty hound pa and blind squirrel. Well, the tumbler for a half hour and then for an hour didn't do much. But it didn't do much damage either, for that short of a time. It seems like this button is in pretty good shape because the tumbler didn't hurt it. But it is out of there now. I hope this isn't the wrong thing, but I'm soaking it in ketchup and it's looking pretty good, except there's places that are still dark. Tomorrow I'm going to put another picture on and I hope you will see it and tell me what you think. I'm hoping to find a backmark on it so blind squirrel can tell me a more precise date of manufacture.

 

[pplinker]

Was advised against tumbling this button, so took it out of there and soaked it in ketchup overnight. The back is readable. It says Thomas N Dale & company New York

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Hi pplinker--

The Thomas N. Dale & Co. New York indicates that it was manufactured in the 1870's. Indian Wars! Congratulations on an excellent, historic find! Best of luck and...

Happy Hunting!
Blind Squirrel

 

[pplinker]

Wow, thank you, Blind Squirrel! And also, Jesseray, good eye, who also identified this as an Artillery and of the 1870 era.