Button ID help needed!

[Drumfish420]

Found this little box in a local antique store last weekend for a few bucks. It was labeled, "Misc metal objects."

The button that caught my eye, as best I can find out, is a Maryland staff officer's coat button, made by Waterbury. Can anybody tell me if this is an ACW button, post-ACW, or fake? I think a couple of the Union Eagle buttons are period and some are not. The rings and thimble are junk. Thanks!

 

[Sowbelly and Hardtack]

Post Civil War Maryland State seal button.

 

[bdtex]

I'm curious about any of those buttons being war or pre-war period buttons. If any are, you did good for a "few bucks".

 

[UCVRelics]

The backmark is a post war.

 

[Drumfish420]

Thanks guys. Im not sure how to tell about the eagle buttons. I have a war-time eagle button and they all look alike to me.

 

[UCVRelics]

Thanks guys. Im not sure how to tell about the eagle buttons. I have a war-time eagle button and they all look alike to me.

Back marks are the only way to tell.

 

[History hoarder63]

Thanks guys. Im not sure how to tell about the eagle buttons. I have a war-time eagle button and they all look alike to me.

The general service eagles in your lot all look to have pre-1872 faces. In 1872 the eagle general service button was redesigned to narrow the shield and make the eagle look a lot more chickenlike in the wings.

 

[bdtex]

The backmark is a post war.

When you say backmark, is that just the back of the button?

 

[UCVRelics]

When you say backmark, is that just the back of the button?

Yes, its the maker mark on the back as they changed over time and is one way to help date buttons. Waterbury/Scovill is a good example as the had many backmarks over the life of the company

THE SCOVILL OMPANY

ABEL PORTER & CO 1802-1811
LEVENWORTH, HAYDEN & SCOVILL 1811-1827
J.M.L. & W.H. SCOVILL 1827-1840
SCOVILLS 1827-1840
SCOVILLS & CO. 1840-1850
SCOVILL MANUFACTURING CO. 1850-1960

THE FOLLOWING ARE VARIATIONS DATING FROM 1850-1865
SCOVILL MG. CO. / SUPERFINE
SCOVILL MG. CO. / WATURBURY CT.
SCOVILL MF'G CO. WATURBURY CT.
SCOVILL MF'G CO. WATURBURY
SCOVILL MFG CO. WATURBURY CT.

THE WATURBURY COMPANY
​

AARON BENEDICT 1812-1823
A. BENEDICT & CO. 1823-1829
BENEDICT & COE 1829-1834
BENEDICT & BURNHAM 1834-1843
BENEDICT & BURNHAM MFG CO. 1843-1849
WATERBURY BUTTON CO. 1849-1965
WATERBURY COS 1965-PRESENT

 

[bdtex]

WATERBURY BUTTON CO. 1849-1965

So that's the backmark on the button in this thread? If yes, how do you know it was made after 1865?

 

[Drumfish420]

Here are the backs of the general service eagles. 3 cuff buttons and 4 coat buttons, plus a weird cuff-link.

 

[Salterr]

So that's the backmark on the button in this thread? If yes, how do you know it was made after 1865?

The face design and construction of buttons changes through the years as does the makers mark. They can be very tiny changes almost unnoticed at first like one extra concentric ring or a dot replacing a star. Bi metallic buttons show up more post war and their height and ring diameter if applicable is bigger. Eagles of post war buttons have long skinny necks. Many companies used old dies from other companies so the face might not always tell you how old it is. RMDC is a good indicator for age.

 

[LoyaltyOfDogs]

RMDC is a good indicator for age.

RMDC?

 

[UCVRelics]

So that's the backmark on the button in this thread? If yes, how do you know it was made after 1865?

There are over 20 different Waterbury BM styles

 

[UCVRelics]

RMDC?

Raised Mark Depressed Channel

 

[Salterr]

RMDC?

Ucvrelics had answered it and what that means when you are looking at the back of the button is pictured in the 5th photo. The letters are raised and the circle they are in is depressed into a channel so the letters pop out at you instead of the other way of indenting the letters

 

[Tom Hughes]

Even if every button in that lot was post-war, it would still be worth more than a few bucks....Great buy!