Big Boys Hobbies

Excelsior Button

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dazednconfused

New Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
5
Location
New York
This past weekend I found my first button in front of an early 1900s farm house. I'm not sure if there was a house there before 1900, but there was a saw/cider mill dating back to at least the 1860s.

I'm hoping someone can tell me more about and help me figure out a date range for this button. It has an eagle on the front with "Excelsior" underneath. On the back it says "Standard Colour Treble Gilt". Unfortunately, I passed the button off to a friend and the shank was inadvertently broken. From what little I can find online, it might be an 1800s New York Militia button...? Not sure how it ended up in this yard! This may also be a stupid question but can the shank be reattached somehow without damaging the button?

Thanks!

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Heck of a find. According to Tice, you button dates around 1800 to 1815. It is the State of New York Militia. The spelling of "calour" would indicate it was European made. That would make sense for a one piece because the US didn't get the technology to make the one piece until around 1820.
 
You found a 200+ year old button with most of the gilt still on it. That's awesome. As for the shank, I'd take some super glue on the tip of a toothpick and rub it on the broken sides and stick it back together.
 
Excellent find. Congratulations.

A friend of mine found one last fall at a place in the Raleigh area where Sherman's troops camped at the end of the CW so apparently the buttons were still in at least some use through the war.
 
Thank you, everyone! I really appreciate everyone's input. This is definitely my best and oldest find so far. Wish I knew the story of how it ended up there. It was found in Fort Johnson, NY and the area is rich in military history but I don't know much about the NY Militia in the area around this time.

As much as I'd love for the shank to be reattached I'll leave it alone and try not to lose it.

Here are my other notable finds from the site thus far, minus a V nickel with no date that was totally corroded. I'm excited to get back there this weekend. Just curious, is there any way to date a plain button when it has no markings?



 
I'd still glue it. Just like I clean coins. The stuff I have is for me only and no one else, so if I want it a certain way, I make it that way. If I plan on selling something, I wouldn't alter it. Just my opinion though. To each his own.
 
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