more buttons !

[rip]

Hello Pappy,I was looking for more info on my dog button and in the treasure depo button progect i came across a button under staff officers /united states from 1810.I think i may have found 4 of these at my great grandfathers house a couple of weeks ago.I can make out the word gilt on the back but not sure of the other lettering.I belive there are more of these there also as i was getting simaler signals but moved on as i thought they were just modern buttons.So i was wondering what you might think. Thanks !...Terry

[PAPPY]

TERRY, What I believe is You have found a really GREAT hunting spot. The buttons you have pictured are NOT uniform buttons but are buttons from a "GENTLEMAN'S" shirt. More than likely cuff buttons from a dress shirt. Keep hunting this area and ...DIG ALL SIGNALS...Buttons are HIGH PRICE items on today's market...Keep up the GREAT digging...PAPPY

[raw-war-digger]

About the Ball Buttons.....Howard R. Crouch shows this type button and calls it a Zouave-"ball button. It is shown on page 178 in his book "Civil War Artifacts". In the book "Record of American Uniform and Historical Buttons" by Alphaeus H. Albert. He shows a Ball Button on page 225 listed as PA 8 and it states: "Pennsylvania; The First Troop, Philadelphia City Cavalry. On page 290-291 Albert tells another Ball Button listed as GS 1: "General Staff, Officer; spherical, 2-piece". Note: The buttons of this type are quite numerous. In addition to being worn by Staff Officers for more than twenty years, similar button was prescribed for the "coatee" of the West Point Cadets as early as 1816. Many independent military companies also used this button, both gilt and plated.
On page 315-316 Albert tells of the West Point button listed as SU 1.
The book "Uniform Buttons of the United States 1776 - 1865" by Warren K. Tice lists a button on page 99-100 as GS 200 {GS-0-2P or Albert's GS 1}: "General Staff; spherical, around 1821-1832. Some uniforms from the War of 1812 have musket ball shaped buttons. The use of spherical buttons on militia, military school cadets and Zouave uniforms continued into modern times. The specimens resemble musket balls, and they are termed "ball" or "bullet" buttons.

I tend to think the bullet buttons to be completely round without the flat shown on your button. I consider your type to be the "Zouave" button.

Just my thoughts, Roger

[PAPPY]

THANKS ROGER...GREAT INFORMATION AND RIGHT ON THE MONEY...PAPPY

[rip]

Thanks guys ! definatly will be hiting these spots again ! the round buttons came from g.gramps place (once belonged to members of the Loomis gang)and the dog button from a new spot.Back to full time work tomorrow so that will be putting a damper on my searching. HH....Terry