Wading through a Sea of Buttons

The wooded unit behind the Burch House has given up another interesting little artifact. From Stratum 1 comes this copper alloy button! Despite lengthy online research, we can't seem to find a similar button. This one is stamped and pierced, but the details are etched in by hand. The button's diameter is 17.5 mm.
Stamped pierced buttons were popular during the Victorian era. The decoration may be a fleur de lis, gathered plants, or feathers. If you have a good button book and see this little darling, let us know!

~Anne and Alyssa~

Itty Bitty Button

We found this little button next to the Burch House last week. It has a copper alloy backing with a shank (a small metal loop). There is a small bit of wire through the shank, which is interesting because we would expect a button to be attached using thread, not wire. The inset is porcelain with a flower painted on it in a sparkling gold. Painting buttons and other ceramics was a popular past time in the Victorian era, however the picture on our button looks more like it was executed quickly and somewhat sloppily. It was most likely made in a button factory.



We will be at Port Tobacco tomorrow.


Anne

Buttons Away!

Washing artifacts this Saturday was very exciting. You'll be seeing some of the larger and more intact pieces in blogs to come. Today's item is a military button from the units near the Burch House. Steve Lohr recognized the stylized "A" and "3" on it as belonging to the 3rd Artillery in the War of 1812. This button was made by manufacturer Levenworth, Hayden, & Scovill between 1813 and 1814.

PS. We'll be digging at the Burch House only on Tuesday this week. We will have the regularly scheduled lab on Saturday.

And the winner is...

Scott! Though I do suppose it is sort of by default, since he was our only reader to actually post an answer (that's ok, it still counts). The artifact of the week last week was indeed white salt-glaze, which was produced from the 1700s into the early 1800s. Aside from often being decorated with molded patterns, white salt-glaze vessels were also dipped in a brown glaze or incised. The incised lines could be filled with a brown iron oxide or a cobalt blue oxide, and were thus called Scratch-brown or Scratch-blue. White salt-glaze could be found in the form of almost any tableware, from mugs, to teapots, to dinner plates.

Now that you all had such an easy first week, here is the artifact for this Monday.


Yes, clearly this is a button...but what material is it made from? I'll give you a hint--you need to be extra careful when washing these because they are likely to dissolve into nothing! Still stumped? Check back next Monday for the answer!

Also, as for the dimensions of the garter clip posted a few days back, the decorated area was 1.25 inches by 1.25 inches. The undecorated back was by 1 inch by .88 inch.

Kelley

Button, Button, Who Wore This Button?

Here is another small find happened upon by Anne and myself during an epic session of cataloging. This metal button was found in stratum 1b of unit 69. It has a diameter of about 14mm and was cast with the image of the seal of the United States.

This seal is of an eagle with a shield in its center, arrows in one foot, and an olive branch in the other. This eagle can be considered to be a "Peace Eagle" as its head is turned to face the olive branch of peace rather than the arrows of war.

Due to the small diameter of this button it is likely a cuff button, but since there is no letter in the center of the shield (such as an "I" for Infantry or a "C" for Cavalry) we cannot tell the division to which the owner belonged. What we do know is that this button belonged to a fellow enlisted in the Union Army who passed through Port Tobacco, losing his button so we could happen upon it later. (April, perhaps this will help you in your quest to find a Civil War Encampment at Port Tobacco).


Kelley

Artifact of the Week

So here's the latest interesting artifact that has come out of the Port Tobacco collection.

Normally when I see a button, I just look to see what it's made out of: bone, shell, plastic, etc. I note the size and count them and add it to the catalog. Today, however, I came across one that was a bit different. It's brown and looks and feels like it could be bone but it also has lettering stamped on it. So, I put it under the magnifying glass to read what was written on it.

It reads: Goodyear N.R. Co. P=T

I know Goodyear makes tires, but buttons? Well the patent for the rubber hardening process was held by Charles Goodyear and thus had to have "P=T" and "Goodyear" which stands for patent held by Goodyear.

These "Goodyear" buttons were produced by the Novelty Rubber Company and the patent was in place from 1851-1872. These buttons were very commonplace in the 19th Century, so while not unique to Port Tobacco, it is an interesting find to this archaeologist and hopefully to you as well.

So what we have here is a middle of the 19th Century clothing button. I love coming across something other than ceramics that I can date! These buttons were very commonplace in the 19th Century, so while not unique to Port Tobacco, it is an interesting find to this archaeologist and hopefully to you as well.

- Peter

Artifact of the Week

So here's the latest interesting artifact that has come out of the Port Tobacco collection.

Normally when I see a button, I just look to see what it's made out of: bone, shell, plastic, etc. I note the size and count them and add it to the catalog. Today, however, I came across one that was a bit different. It's brown and looks and feels like it could be bone but it also has lettering stamped on it. So, I put it under the magnifying glass to read what was written on it.

It reads: Goodyear N.R. Co. P=T

I know Goodyear makes tires, but buttons? Well the patent for the rubber hardening process was held by Charles Goodyear and thus had to have "P=T" and "Goodyear" which stands for patent held by Goodyear.

These "Goodyear" buttons were produced by the Novelty Rubber Company and the patent was in place from 1851-1872. These buttons were very commonplace in the 19th Century, so while not unique to Port Tobacco, it is an interesting find to this archaeologist and hopefully to you as well.

So what we have here is a middle of the 19th Century clothing button. I love coming across something other than ceramics that I can date! These buttons were very commonplace in the 19th Century, so while not unique to Port Tobacco, it is an interesting find to this archaeologist and hopefully to you as well.

- Peter