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Is this an Early 1800's Navy Button?

DoctorWhy

Full Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2016
Messages
240
Location
Island in Penobscot Bay, Maine
Found this brass button near the front door, in the earthen berm around a house reportedly built in 1840 on an island off the coast of Maine. It is approximately 7/8" in diameter and looks like someone had repeatedly hit it with a hammer... Shank is missing. The back side appears to be plain -- no markings, although there appears to be a slight circular line inset from the perimeter edge. There is a small 'scar' where a button shank may have been soldered. The button is nearly circular with an oval-shaped area marked by a field of etched horizontal lines. It appears to have had a gold wash or plaiting. On the front at the '6 o'clock' position, there appears to be a point that suggests the mid-point of a bottom of an anchor. No stars around the perimeter of the oval are visible, suggesting that it is NOT a US Navy button, but perhaps a British Navy button of the period around the War of 1812...

Any help in identifying this would be appreciated. While it is pretty 'crusty' and of little intrinsic value, it may have significant historical value to our island community.

Best regards,
--Bert
 

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I am not a button expert, but I scanned the Alberts book to look for a potential match and there are quite a few buttons with the oval and lined field. Some early navy buttons lacked stars. The device in your looks like it has an outline of a shield, but I can't tell for sure. Do you think it was a flat button or 2-piece?
 
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