I have excavated an iron button with the words imperial standard with two stars between the words on the back. it has a bit of green pigment remaining over a rusty base leading me to believe it is iron or steel. it has a single loop on the back for attachment. I found the button near where an early out post was located on the Kennebec River in Maine. How can I find out the date and possible use of this button...ie military or civilian.
excavated iron button in Maine
- Thread starter bhayweird
- Start date
Ranger52ovx
Established Users
What does the button have on the front? The Company C & R Imperial Standard was in business from 1790-1820's in Britain from what I have gathered.
GeoDiggerMike
Established Users
Sounds like an early 1800's flat button (cuff size)
These are fairly common finds around old homesites, pre-CW sites, and plantation sites here in Louisiana. Most with that backmark were imported from England during the late 1700's to early 1800's. The 2-piece button came into fashion around the 1840's, and the 1-piece flat button became somewhat obsolete, although in the south they were using them through the CW years.. GeoDiggerMike
These are fairly common finds around old homesites, pre-CW sites, and plantation sites here in Louisiana. Most with that backmark were imported from England during the late 1700's to early 1800's. The 2-piece button came into fashion around the 1840's, and the 1-piece flat button became somewhat obsolete, although in the south they were using them through the CW years.. GeoDiggerMike
Bhayweird, I agree with what GeoDiggerMike and Ranger52ovx said about the item. I'll add a bit more info to their comments. One-piece construction IRON "flat buttons" were VERY rarely backmarked. So, I'd suspect that your button is actually brass with an iron loop, which could have caused the rust on the button's body. Green is the typical color of the oxidation/patina on excavated brass and bronze. The simple answer for determining whether the button's body is actually iron (or not) is to test it (on the edge, far away from the loop) with a magnet. Please let us know the result of that test. 
Regards,
Pete [P.C. George]
Regards,
Pete [P.C. George]