Buttons - Am I wrong to avoid collecting?

[Mrs. V]

I would love to go digging one day ( bucket list ) just to find 1 bullet that's it 1 bullet. Its hard to find bullets in Wisconsin lol

I would love to go dig as well. Don't care what I find as long as it's not spiders.

 

[Caswell Ranger]

So many times I've read horrible articles about soldiers being dug up just so the grave robbers could steal their uniform buttons. I'm afraid to collect them because I feel like if I did, I might be contributing to these reprehensible people doing that. But they are intriguing, and I wouldn't mind owning a LEGIT one. What do you folks think?

No, you have noble instincts. May your collection be big and beautiful.

 

[Keiri]

To answer your question, my other interests lie in one day holding a hand-made piece of art by a civil war soldier, such as carved pipe, or a ring, or anything like that. Also, I'd love to have artwork done by a civil war soldier - such as a painting or sketch (original). Finally, this is completely out of the realm of this board, but I am interested in Napoleonic Wars and Waterloo because an ancestor fought there. So things having to do with it would be interesting, sadly, most of it is in France, Belgium and England (and I'm in Wisconsin).

 

[Badgercwcollector]

To answer your question, my other interests lie in one day holding a hand-made piece of art by a civil war soldier, such as carved pipe, or a ring, or anything like that. Also, I'd love to have artwork done by a civil war soldier - such as a painting or sketch (original). Finally, this is completely out of the realm of this board, but I am interested in Napoleonic Wars and Waterloo because an ancestor fought there. So things having to do with it would be interesting, sadly, most of it is in France, Belgium and England (and I'm in Wisconsin).

"Seek and ye shall find" I think that the Wheaton Ill. CW show will be in September. You may find some items there . Good luck !

 

[Thomasgat]

There are some very pricey buttons out there. Missouri State Seal buttons from the war are very expensive. Rare too. I have seen a few of them. A friend of mine found quite a few of them years ago. Ten large buttons and 6 cuff sized buttons. They were at a flea market and sold as Indian Wars buttons. They were not. Buttons are fine, but hard to tell the difference between dug ones, which are fine, and those from any other source. I do understand your concern, and all I can say is stick to non dug or educate yourself more on dug buttons. At least we do not have the problems so rife in Eastern Europe and other places where relic hunting is somewhat different, and less ethical.

Louisiana always seems to be pricey too!

 

[JAGwinn]

Is grave robbery for buttons still an issue today ? That is not a facetious question.

Just seems to me that with security cameras and cell phones nearly everywhere and the forensic science we have now it would be a rather risky proposition to would-be perpetrators for the percieved rewards... Well, at least any with brains or a conscience...

Recent happenings include the theft of a decorative iron fence surrounding a private cemetery, about 150 feet of fence, not discovered missing for about a week; and the toppling over of marble panels of a Viet Nam Memorial.

 

[Legion Para]

You might take a look at Cowans upcoming Summer History Auction.

https://www.cowanauctions.com/auction/6222018-american-history-premier-auction-7552/lots

Incredibly Detailed First-Hand Account of Custer's Washita Campaign and Exceptional Early Photography Collections Highlight Cowan's Summer American History Auction

 

[Package4]

So many times I've read horrible articles about soldiers being dug up just so the grave robbers could steal their uniform buttons. I'm afraid to collect them because I feel like if I did, I might be contributing to these reprehensible people doing that. But they are intriguing, and I wouldn't mind owning a LEGIT one. What do you folks think?

Keiri, please do not fret, for the most part the process of decay destroys the fragile button material, even belt buckles and the like show extreme corrosion when in contact with the decaying process. Not to get too graphic but the process is extremely caustic to those metals. Not absolute.

Most buttons do not come out of a graveyard and as UCVrelics astutely refers, the back marks are everything.

 

[petroguy]

I was referring to sick stuff like this: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...diers-child-dug-spilled-Georgia-cemetery.html

That is just messed up, I would think that this would be a rare thing to happen. Most relic hunters would have a huge problem with whomever did this. Sick people that would do this

 

[Badgercwcollector]

Keiri, Do you have any interest in European Military Buttons ?

 

[Keiri]

Probably French from Napoleonic era, Badger. (hello fellow badger!)

 

[Badgercwcollector]

Probably French from Napoleonic era, Badger. (hello fellow badger!)

I am looking through my military buttons to see if I have any French ones and so far, Bavarian , Prussian and 1 English so far . Buttons are not my specialty so research is slow. I can see how people can get hooked on button collecting but I will not allow myself to be one of them. lol So why do I have the buttons ? The only ones I have ever bought was some GAR and some Louisiana post war buttons and everything else came with other auction buys . About a month ago I thought I should figure out what I have so I can sell or trade them as they do not fit my collection interest. As soon as I can get a new camera I will post some buttons that might be CW on the forums and maybe I can help you start a collection . Greg

 

[Keiri]

Question - in an auction, what does "ANS" mean before a document item?

 

[pringmaster]

I dig them up all the time but it is mainly in a confederate camp. Here is a picture of all of them.