Keith IL wrote:
>Found this button at old house site but is my first button and a flat one.
>It says PLATED with 2 little stars and a picture of a crown.I would appreciate a guess as to age and possible maker.
Keith, that particular backmark means it was produced between 1790 and 1840 - and most probaly toward the earlier side of that range. Also, that particular STYLE of crown means it was made in Britain. (Until a significant degree of industrial manufacturing "got going" in the early United States, it was still necessary to import a lot of manufactured goods from England.)
On such buttons, the word "plated" always refers to Silver ...and "gilt" always refers to Gold. So your button was silver-plated.
I can't be certain from the photo, but there appears to be some silver still remaining on its face. Submerge your button in ordinary household Ammonia (cleaning-liquid) for about two to three minutes (no more than that). Take it out, and dip the tip of an old toothbrush into the ammonia. Scrub the button's face GENTLY with it. Then rinse the button THOROUGHLY under running water. If there's any silver still on your button, this process will uncover it. (Other people prefer to use lemon juice or TopJob Cleaner because they are less-caustic chemicals.)
Please let us know the result. A "before and after" photo-set (of the button's face-side) would be intersting. But also, please-please-please be careful to avoid "overcleaning."
Regards,
TheCannonballGuy