old flat button. ID please!

[gold_geologist2011]

Hey all! I have a flat button that I found in a horse pasture along side a small musket ball (or some type of ball). These were found in Pendleton County, WV. I would like to know if someone could ID this button and possibly be able to tell me how old the button is. I have a picture of the back of the button but unfortunately it's not great quality. The front of the button is just blank there may have been a design on it at one point but it has since worn away to nothing. The back of the button says K(H?) E S T then there's a dot followed by a five pointed star or flower with a hole in the center. This is followed by another dot and then COLOUR BRANCH. This is followed by a dot, a star symbol, and another dot and then back to the beginning.

Thanks!!

 

[Aarong81]

Most likely european due to the spelling of colour. Only clue I can think of.

 

[gold_geologist2011]

Thats what stuck out to me as well. I don't know very much about buttons, but is there anything available on the colour branch in historical documents or anything that anyone knows of?

 

[Aarong81]

It most likely says 'Best Colour' as that has been seen on flat buttons. I am unsure about the word 'branch', if it was possibly a different spelling it may help give something else to research.
Another word found on this type of button would be "RICH", Is it possible it says Best Rich Colour? 'Best Colour' does not seem to narrow it down to a certain manufacturer but I would guess a date on it from late 1700's to 1840. After that, 2 piece buttons became more popular.
The button pictured below says Best Superfine Colour, also has a source link below it...
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachments/buttons/17135d1332348990-flat-button-found-hollis-french-friday-12-12-001.jpg
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/buttons/108526-flat-button-found-hollis-french.html

 

[Aarong81]

Another alternate spelling of BRANCH might be FRANCE, after all it is a french spelling. If so, it would at least narrow down the location it was made.

 

[gold_geologist2011]

Thank you all very much. I am certain that the words "BRANCH" and "COLOUR" appear on the button. These two words are pretty clear. "BEST" is a possibility because it is really hard to decipher what the first letter of that word is... I can only make out that it is a four letter word. The E may also be an I. I first determined it said HIST but after a closer look the I appeared to be an E.... It's possible that it could still be an I.

Thanks Again!!

 

[coinnut]

I can't recall seeing the word BRANCH on early 1800's button before. If you are certain that it says Branch, then that is what it is, but sometimes corrosion plays tricks on details. Take another look from many angles, and see if it may say ORANGE.I have probably over 1000 buttons from that era but have not studied the backs of all of them. I generally date them buttons from 1800 -- 1820's. Some button experts out there may give you some more info on it. A nice old piece of history!!!

 

[gold_geologist2011]

The word BRANCH stuck out the best but you're right, corrosion was a factor. Whats weird is I was searching for a ring for someone and I just happened to find the button and a musket ball within the 20 ft X 15 ft area I was told the ring could be in. Im really wondering what else may be lurking under the ground on this property. This may have been an undocumented battle ground.... It's really hard to say. Oh, and I did find the ring : ). The owner was sooo happy and we became good friends! I can easily get back up there and metal detect anytime when I have the time.

 

[gold_geologist2011]

Sorry for the delay...I dont get home too much as I work on gas rigs for a third party company and I work about 84 hours a week. Either way, I got some time off and have had a chance to look at the button. It is simply amazing how details can be altered and your mind can be tricked by corrosion.... Either way, the button said "Best Orange Colour". Anyone have any ideas on which war/battle this button was worn in? Perhaps know the side?

Thanks again! I really appreciate all of your help! It's great to have a forum such as this to ask about your finds!

 

[SpiritRelic]

These were shipped and brought here by the early colonial people.It was made in France.As said the word colour spelling gives that away.They can date to the early 1700's-mid 1800's.Some will say stand colour,orange colour,warranted, treble gilt,best color.Or some may just say gilt with stars.There are hundreds of different ones.These buttons were dipped in gold.That is were the words best colour,orange colour comes from.The early American indians loved these buttons because they were shiny and covered in the gold.So they were used in trading goods from the native Americans.Search that area.You could easily find a colonial coin. :-D

 

[gold_geologist2011]

Excellent! Thank you for all the wonderful information! Should the gold wear off like that? I dont see any gold anywhere on the button... A colonial coin would be a very cool find! I plan on searching this property VERY slow and VERY hard!

Thank you all so much! I will post other finds on this forum if I cant figure them out.

EDIT: Actually, there does appear to be a speck of gold on the front of the button. Wow, that is really cool!

 

[Aarong81]

All of these type buttons I've found had lost most of their gilt also. Sometimes you can see some remnants in the lettering.

What do you do on the gas/oil rigs? I was a flowtester in Rifle/Battlement Mesa/Parachute, Co area. I worked for a flowtesting company that contracted with the larger oil companies around there, Antero, Encana and Questar mostly. I always worked 12 on 12 off 7/days a week also. My brother got 24's and was paid for 168 hrs/week. 24's are easier because you don't have to leave the pad and pay twice as much, you just live on the pad and are on stand-by on your downtime. I think he was making $37/hr so its really hard to leave a job like that. We were allowed to work as much as we wanted so he could easily make over 300k/yr. One time he had 3 pads at the same time and they each let him go back and forth because they preferred him over other flowtesters, thats over $2600/day but I think 2 of them were only 12's so maybe around 1700/day. It eventually became impossible to do that with more safety regulations added all the time. But we both had families and that is hard on families. I came home the beginning of 2009 which everyone else was already hitting their lows economically, it was a culture and financial shock to leave that work and come back to normal life. I payed for our house, RV, 2 trucks and sweet boat all in a year besides temporary living expenses in the oil field which was outrageous in 2008, $1000/month for 1 bed apt. Its plummeted since so many companies left in 2009.

 

[SpiritRelic]

Also called a coin button.I learned this term from a relic buyer.Notice how much the button resembles a coin.Perfect idea.The coins are sewn on your clothes.The shank could easily be removed and wala, you got a shiny gold coin to buy some cool stuff from the indians with.Think about that one.Oh,i found one with the shank filed off.Go figure.Here is a pic of one i found recently.

 

[gold_geologist2011]

All of these type buttons I've found had lost most of their gilt also. Sometimes you can see some remnants in the lettering.

What do you do on the gas/oil rigs? I was a flowtester in Rifle/Battlement Mesa/Parachute, Co area. I worked for a flowtesting company that contracted with the larger oil companies around there, Antero, Encana and Questar mostly. I always worked 12 on 12 off 7/days a week also. My brother got 24's and was paid for 168 hrs/week. 24's are easier because you don't have to leave the pad and pay twice as much, you just live on the pad and are on stand-by on your downtime. I think he was making $37/hr so its really hard to leave a job like that. We were allowed to work as much as we wanted so he could easily make over 300k/yr. One time he had 3 pads at the same time and they each let him go back and forth because they preferred him over other flowtesters, thats over $2600/day but I think 2 of them were only 12's so maybe around 1700/day. It eventually became impossible to do that with more safety regulations added all the time. But we both had families and that is hard on families. I came home the beginning of 2009 which everyone else was already hitting their lows economically, it was a culture and financial shock to leave that work and come back to normal life. I payed for our house, RV, 2 trucks and sweet boat all in a year besides temporary living expenses in the oil field which was outrageous in 2008, $1000/month for 1 bed apt. Its plummeted since so many companies left in 2009.

I didnt see any of the gilt left in the lettering but surprisingly enough, I found just a speck on the front of the button. The button kept pinging 1cent/10cent. I had to dig it because it was within the range of the class ring I was searching for. I was really surprised when I pulled up that button lol.

As far as the gas rig goes... I am working as a mudlogger/geosteerer in the WV, OH, and PA area. I graduated from WVU with a bachelors degree in geology in May of 2012. I've only been working with the gas rigs for 2 months now but I absolutely love it! We get about 50cent per mile travel pay, per diems (usually around $60 per day). When im geosteering I get about $200 a day with the geosteering bonus of course this is on top of the hourly rate. The plan is to work in mudlogging/geosteering for a while and then move up to well site geologist. It's not bad pay, that's for sure, but like you said, it's hard on families. I work 12hrs on 12hrs off it's usually til the end of well and then we have a couple days off between skids or about a week off between full moves. Im off for a full move right now. I plan on hunting that spot where I found the button again but very slow and hard. I have probably 40 acers of hunting ground up there... It's hard to tell what I will find.

 

[gold_geologist2011]

That's interesting that they are also called coin buttons... In fact when I was detecting it. It gave me a solid 1cent/10cent signal that I just resist to dig Something told me to dig it! No more discrimination for this property...There's not much trash but horse shoes and a few pull tabs here and there. There's just too much history that could be missed. Maybe there's a musket laying around somewhere just waiting to be found....Haha, one can dream cant he?

It's just interesting to realize when you are detecting a property, you pull up a piece of history, and then realize what you are holding in your hands could be 200 years old. Then you realize what the area may have looked like when that button was dropped. That wide open field was probably completely wooded...You then stand back and realize what could have taken place here. You gradually piece the puzzle together as you detect. That's why I detect, I want to piece that puzzle together!

 

[SpiritRelic]

You found the coin button and a musket ball already.You got yourself a story to put together there.Maybe a story with a few old colonial coins mixed in a few chapters.I have had to relive a few chapters in history myself.So put yourself together a story on on that area there.Good luck!