Tom Hughes
Sergeant Major
- Joined
- May 27, 2019
- Location
- Mississippi
Those of us that use metal detectors to search for and uncover history, face this daunting task from time to time - Trying to get a positive I.D. on an artifact that we know is going to be a good one.
Such is the case with a recent button find I made in Mississippi.
With the land owners permission, I was given the "go-ahead" to search a very historic piece of property. It was a large plantation home whose builders came from Virginia to Natchez and beyond to govern the new territory, and now state, as it entered the union in 1817.
When I detected this button, I immediately noticed the crown imprinted on the facing.
The construction of the button (one-piece solid cast with soldered eye hook) helped to date the button since there was no backmark. The button dates circa. 1787-1820.
It was believed to be a British militia button, but yet, many unanswered questions remained....Until now.
The identity of the button is now believed to be known, and it has an interesting history indeed. So much so that I wanted to share my findings on this forum with the group.
This is believed to be a LIVERY BUTTON. Livery is an insignia on a button. Livery buttons in early America were buttons worn by the male servants of a household identifying the servants to their masters. My button has the image of a crown. However, there are many images depicted on the face of these livery buttons. An internet search provides many depictions from family crests to animals and scenes.
In Europe, livery among the aristocrat and noble class was popular.
As the aristocracy of the Southern planter class sprung up, so did the need to identify the enslaved with their masters. This directly paralleled their European cultural identity.
Some wealthy planters saw slaves working in their households as a reflection of their wealth and status. Livery clothes were a "step up" and would be a way of showing this status and were provided to the males of the household help serving as coachmen, valets, footmen, and other household domestic help.
Here's an example of a livery coat worn by a Mississippi plantation slave that is on display at a Texas museum (internet photo). It was made by the clothing firm of Brooks Brothers. This firm specifically made livery clothes for the domestic male slave population in the South.
As I walked off the plantation property with my newly dug button in my pocket, I had no idea what a livery button was. But it all makes sense now. These buttons, which were imported from Europe, were used on these livery coats and served a specific purpose. Although these livery buttons adorned a coat worn by a man bound by slavery and not one worn by a paid servant. It casts a historical light on plantation facts that aren't easily digested in our society but are a big part of our shared history.
My artifact collection now has a new addition that will help tell this story.
Such is the case with a recent button find I made in Mississippi.
With the land owners permission, I was given the "go-ahead" to search a very historic piece of property. It was a large plantation home whose builders came from Virginia to Natchez and beyond to govern the new territory, and now state, as it entered the union in 1817.
When I detected this button, I immediately noticed the crown imprinted on the facing.
The construction of the button (one-piece solid cast with soldered eye hook) helped to date the button since there was no backmark. The button dates circa. 1787-1820.
It was believed to be a British militia button, but yet, many unanswered questions remained....Until now.
The identity of the button is now believed to be known, and it has an interesting history indeed. So much so that I wanted to share my findings on this forum with the group.
This is believed to be a LIVERY BUTTON. Livery is an insignia on a button. Livery buttons in early America were buttons worn by the male servants of a household identifying the servants to their masters. My button has the image of a crown. However, there are many images depicted on the face of these livery buttons. An internet search provides many depictions from family crests to animals and scenes.
In Europe, livery among the aristocrat and noble class was popular.
As the aristocracy of the Southern planter class sprung up, so did the need to identify the enslaved with their masters. This directly paralleled their European cultural identity.
Some wealthy planters saw slaves working in their households as a reflection of their wealth and status. Livery clothes were a "step up" and would be a way of showing this status and were provided to the males of the household help serving as coachmen, valets, footmen, and other household domestic help.
Here's an example of a livery coat worn by a Mississippi plantation slave that is on display at a Texas museum (internet photo). It was made by the clothing firm of Brooks Brothers. This firm specifically made livery clothes for the domestic male slave population in the South.
As I walked off the plantation property with my newly dug button in my pocket, I had no idea what a livery button was. But it all makes sense now. These buttons, which were imported from Europe, were used on these livery coats and served a specific purpose. Although these livery buttons adorned a coat worn by a man bound by slavery and not one worn by a paid servant. It casts a historical light on plantation facts that aren't easily digested in our society but are a big part of our shared history.
My artifact collection now has a new addition that will help tell this story.
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