Military button

lthompson0123

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Jan 17, 2020
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Doesn’t look that old but I know this field on the family farm has not been plowed only used for hay in 60 years. Found this button 12” down any way of knowing how old it is or what war?

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When you see the great seal on a button---with the circular banner over the eagle---it's going to be after 1900. Good find. Especially a foot deep!. I found one in an old curb strip last week. Totally unexpected.

It could possibly be dated more closely based on the backmark. Also, if it's cleaned up a little and appears to have been painted black or gilt gold, then that can help date it.
 
I do not see any gold gilt , I just brushed it off should I clean it?


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I do not see any gold gilt , I just brushed it off should I clean it?


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It appears to be from between 1910 and mid-1940s.

It's likely worth a lot more to you than anyone else. So, whether you clean it or not is up to you.

I tumbled mine for an hour or two--just until I started to get a hint of shine on the peaks---and that looks pretty good to me.
 
I tumbled mine for an hour or two--just until I started to get a hint of shine on the peaks---and that looks pretty good to me.

Any way I can see any pics? I just bought a tumbler and I’m curious to what all looks good upon being tumbled. Also did you put it in with other items and what medium?
 
Any way I can see any pics? I just bought a tumbler and I’m curious to what all looks good upon being tumbled. Also did you put it in with other items and what medium?

Here you go. Water and a fresh batch of natural small aquarium gravel. Nothing else in the tumbler. The gravel is about 1/2 the volume and just enough water to be level with the gravel. I checked it about every 30 minutes and it didn't take long but about three cycles.

Not surprisingly, if you use the same gravel for a long time it wears down and isn't as good at getting into the finer details. A fresh batch can make a huge different in time/detail. By "natural" gravel, I mean the kind that has all sorts of shapes and sizes and natural colors, some of which is pretty small and/or sharp. The gravel that's more uniform and all shaped like little boulders isn't going to get into the details. I've thought about making a mix that includes crushed seashells. You have to drain it in a finer sieve to avoid them going down the sink.

The shiny highlights aren't so harsh in person. Mine looked about the same or worse than the one in this thread. None of the grooves or finer details could be seen even after using water and a toothbrush.

I have some civil war era buttons that lack detail due to the patina. I have no plans to tumble those.
 

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Here you go. Water and a fresh batch of natural small aquarium gravel. Nothing else in the tumbler. The gravel is about 1/2 the volume and just enough water to be level with the gravel. I checked it about every 30 minutes and it didn't take long but about three cycles.

Not surprisingly, if you use the same gravel for a long time it wears down and isn't as good at getting into the finer details. A fresh batch can make a huge different in time/detail. By "natural" gravel, I mean the kind that has all sorts of shapes and sizes and natural colors, some of which is pretty small and/or sharp. The gravel that's more uniform and all shaped like little boulders isn't going to get into the details. I've thought about making a mix that includes crushed seashells. You have to drain it in a finer sieve to avoid them going down the sink.

The shiny highlights aren't so harsh in person. Mine looked about the same or worse than the one in this thread. None of the grooves or finer details could be seen even after using water and a toothbrush.

I have some civil war era buttons that lack detail due to the patina. I have no plans to tumble those.

Thankyou for the reply! I was curious as to being new to tumbling he something like that would turn out! So pretty much if you are worried about over cleaning said item then you probably shouldn’t be tumbling it is what I feel I should follow. The button turned out great and I’m excited to tumble some stuff other than clad!
 
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I polished it


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Nice. Your button very well might have been black when it was new. You could do a whole restore job and add a few thin coats of black enamel. I'm not sure I would, but it could be a fun project.
 
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