Colonial Flat Button

[IDigHistory]

I found this colonial Flat Button in my yard and was wondering if anybody could estimate its age? It is almost 1 1/4" in diamiter and has no markings at all. I believe it to be brass but please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[doninbrewster]

I'm not sure of the age of this, but in a reply to one of my posts you said your goal was to find a large cent this year. You keep hunting where you found this button and you might have a very good chance. If you have woods around your yard, don't forget to hunt them too as well as the neighbors if they'll give you permission.

 

[bootyhoundpa]

Pre 1850 as from what ive read . And like don mentioned every where that I have found large cents I have also found flat buttons.good luck.

 

[IDigHistory]

Thanks for the advice. I started increasing the size of my yard last summer by clearing about a 20 foot wide stretch of land that was wooded, and that is where I found this button. I am now going to clear more of it and continue my search in that general area, still working on the neighbors. With any luck I will have my large cent in no time, now all I need is some warm weather!

 

[IDigHistory]

I am sure it is pre civil war, was kind of hoping to hear somebody confirm it's from the 1700's, my home was built in 1735 and I'm hoping to find some relics from the original land owner. I think this button is a possibility, most of the buttons I see from the 1800's are a bit smaller and usually have a design or writing on them, this one has neither and is quite large. I have created a You Tube channel "I Dig History" to share my finds and get as much info on my finds as I can, I invite all the help I can get. Thanks for your comments, I hope to have more to share with you soon... weather permitting.

 

[doninbrewster]

If your house was built in 1735 my question becomes does your house have a dirt floor in the basement/cellar? If so, have you thoroughly searched it with your metal detector? I know of a number of large cents coming from the dirt floors in the cellar of an old home.

 

[IDigHistory]

The 1735 side of the house has a cellar under it and the 1824 side of the house has a cellar under it, however it was all cemented in years ago. The cellar under the 1735 side has a lot of damage to the cement where tree roots have broken through and will need to be redone someday, when that day comes I do plan to search thoroughly all areas where cement is removed. I live at sea level so both cellars have sump pumps that run all the time to keep water from flooding the cellars so the cement is necessary I believe. There is a kitchen built on to the back of the 1735 wing in the early 1900's that is still dirt underneath the floors with about a 2 foot high crawl space. I would like to search that area someday, but I'm a little hesitant due to the copperheads I have seen going in and out of the space. Right now I'm content in the yard and small wooded area totaling about 6 1/2 acres, I am very close to one neighbor letting me search his land as well.

 

[MikeO]

Nice dig.
If I had to guess I would estimate early to mid 19th century for age.

 

[IDigHistory]

How can I tell if a button is 18th century vs. 19th century?

 

[IDigHistory]

FYI... I have confirmed my button pictured above is a colonial flat button, they were common from the second to the fourth quarter of the 18 century. I got this confirmation from the "Conservator of Archaeological Materials, of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation" You can also find it pictured on page 91 as a type 8 button in the book "A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America" by Ivor Noel Hume. I just picked up a copy of this book and it is a must have for those with an interest in Colonial Relics.

 

[Jrjammer]

Lettering did not come to the back side of buttons until the early 1800`s. Your button is mid 1700`s