Continental navy officer button

[TheJerseyDevil]

Holy shnizzle shnazzle

Hey Sweeper,

You have such a gift for clarity and concision. I am always so long-winded in my responses. I could learn from you...lol

Regards,

JD

 

[Ronald68]

Congratulations on that button! It’s beautiful!

 

[Dan(NM)]

That's a great looking button, good job!!

 

[HEBEGB]

Great find, congrats!

 

[CTpilgrim]

Hi,

This button is stunning. Regarding the planchet, I wonder what metal or alloy it might be? Oxydized silver perhaps? White metal? Pewter?

Buttons this dark are usually recovered from the water. The happy accident of the surviving gilt design on the blackened metal has created quite the show piece. I hope you are proudly displaying your treasure where it can be seen and admired. With proper lighting of course!

Congratulations. Keep this as a family heirloom and boast about it to your friends. Don't let collectors like me try to steal it from you!

But if it appears on ebay, I 'will' be there...
It makes sense you found this in Connecticut. You should send a photo to Troiani. Maybe he'll include it in the next edition of his book. I've definitively added it to my database.

Best regards,

Jealous in Jersey!!

Thanks for the kind words. The more research I do on this button the more I like it. It is a one piece brass with the gilt stamped into it. It came from very sandy soil which probably helped to preserve it and I can’t believe how well lemon juice works at cleaning gold gilt. As far as ever selling this thing, no way. This is actually one of my favorite finds I’ve ever made and the items my father and I are finding at this site are rewriting the history of the area for sure.

 

[TheJerseyDevil]

Thanks for the kind words. The more research I do on this button the more I like it. It is a one piece brass with the gilt stamped into it. It came from very sandy soil which probably helped to preserve it and I can’t believe how well lemon juice works at cleaning gold gilt. As far as ever selling this thing, no way. This is actually one of my favorite finds I’ve ever made and the items my father and I are finding at this site are rewriting the history of the area for sure.

I display my best buttons using a twelve slot gem jar holder. I have them scattered all over the house. I'd show you my actual buttons, but I learned on the previous forum I joined that some within the metal detecting community despise collectors who 'buy' their treasures. I'm new to metal detecting. I'll have to wait until I actually find something myself, so I can share. I am an historian and know where all the Rev War hot spots are located in New Jersey. Outside the protected archaeological and historical sites of course. My own town is a hot spot.