Identifying Buttons Found Metal Detecting
Buttons are one of the most common finds for detectorists, and they're far more interesting than most people realize. A single button can tell you about the person who wore it — their military branch, their trade, their social class, and the period they lived in. Buttons are also one of the few artifact types with extensive reference databases, making identification more straightforward once you know what to look for.
Button Construction and Dating
How a button was made is often the first clue to its age:
- One-piece cast buttons (pre-1800): Pewter or brass, cast as a single piece with an integral loop or drilled shank. Common on colonial-era civilian and military clothing.
- Two-piece stamped buttons (1800s onward): A stamped face crimped onto a separate back plate. The seam around the edge is the giveaway.
- Three-piece buttons: Face, back, and a separate inserted shank or wire loop. Common from the mid-1800s on.
- Four-hole sew-through buttons: Machine-made, generally post-Civil War for metal types, though bone and shell versions are much older.
Military Buttons
Military buttons are among the most sought-after detecting finds. U.S. military buttons follow well-documented patterns:
Revolutionary War era: Pewter buttons, often plain or with simple regimental numbers. British military buttons from this period feature crown-over-number designs. French buttons found at American sites may indicate alliance-era encampments.
Civil War era: Both Union and Confederate buttons are extensively cataloged. Union buttons typically show an eagle with a letter designating the branch (I for Infantry, A for Artillery, C for Cavalry, D for Dragoons). Confederate buttons often have state seals or simple block letters. Albert's Record of American Uniform and Historical Buttons and Tice's Uniform Buttons of the United States are the standard references. The relicman.com site also has useful visual references.
Indian Wars through WWI: The Great Seal eagle design became standard. Backmarks from manufacturers like Scovill, Waterbury, and Horstmann help date the button to a specific period.
Backmarks
The text or markings on the back of a button (the backmark) are often more useful for dating than the front design. Manufacturers changed their backmark styles over time, creating a rough timeline:
- "Gilt" or "Treble Gilt" — usually pre-1830
- "Scovills & Co" — 1827-1840
- "Scovill Mfg Co" — 1840-1850
- "Scovill Mfg Co / Waterbury" — 1850-1860s
- "Waterbury Button Co" — 1849 onward
Civilian Buttons
Don't overlook plain or non-military buttons. Civilian buttons can include livery buttons (from servants of wealthy households, often bearing family crests), railroad buttons (with company logos), fireman and police buttons, and decorative clothing buttons that can be dated by style and construction.
Condition and Cleaning
Brass buttons found in soil often develop a smooth green patina. Pewter buttons may be heavily corroded and crumbly. Before cleaning, check the cleaning guides for the appropriate method for each material. For valuable military buttons, less cleaning is almost always better.