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US Military Uniform Buttons Interesting Facts


dag
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  • 5 months later...

Backmark is "*Best & Co.*/New York", listed at 60 W. 23rd St. NYC. "Made Uniforms in WWI & II" per American Military Button Makers and Dealers; Their Backmarks & Dates, by William F. McGuinn and Bruce S. Bazelon. This reference also lists that this manufacturer made the "NA-131A type but smaller circle". This refers to the numbering system per Record Of American Uniform And Historical Buttons, by Alphaeus H. Albert, in which lists this button was used by US Navy Chief Petty Officers. I have also seen similar buttons listed as Merchant Marine or even non-military/maritime.

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  • 1 year later...

Thank you for this post, it is very informative and has helped me identify some of the uniform buttons I have been wondering about. I'm sure it will help me again in the future.

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  • 1 month later...

I have run across a Police button with the backmark N S Co. AA Quality. Does anyone have any knowledge of this company or the general dates of operation? The button is a silver colored Johnstown Police Dept. tunic button with brass base and brazed shank

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I'll add my thanks for putting this topic up. It's very informative and puts together a lot of info in one place. Very useful. I have never seen a copy of the Albert book. How good of a job does it do in putting dates to the buttons it classifies?

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I have run across a Police button with the backmark N S Co. AA Quality. Does anyone have any knowledge of this company or the general dates of operation? The button is a silver colored Johnstown Police Dept. tunic button with brass base and brazed shank

 

Will check my books tonight to see if this backmark is listed. However, the books I have list almost exclusively manufacturerers of military buttons and this maker may or may not be listed. Will check when I get home and advise.

 

David

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...

I have never seen a copy of the Albert book. How good of a job does it do in putting dates to the buttons it classifies?

 

Albert's book is EXCELLENT for assisting in US military button identification. Also has a section on political buttons. However, only marginal help for dating buttons - will just give an era that a particular button would have been made. It's then up to the collector to further the dating process by analyzing backmarks, therefore assistance using some of the other books is needed.

 

David

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Will check my books tonight to see if this backmark is listed. However, the books I have list almost exclusively manufacturerers of military buttons and this maker may or may not be listed. Will check when I get home and advise.

 

David

Thank you, I have checked American Military Button Makers and Dealers by McGuinn and Bazelton, but might have missed something. I don't have Tice's Dating Buttons, (I'm looking for a copy though)

I sure appreciate all the info you share on this forum. I collect uniform buttons (military, police and fire) and livery buttons and find that knowing where to access the info is vital to identification. There is a lot of crossover in the manufacturers so thought I'd try here.

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Thank you, I have checked American Military Button Makers and Dealers by McGuinn and Bazelton, but might have missed something. I don't have Tice's Dating Buttons, (I'm looking for a copy though)

I sure appreciate all the info you share on this forum. I collect uniform buttons (military, police and fire) and livery buttons and find that knowing where to access the info is vital to identification. There is a lot of crossover in the manufacturers so thought I'd try here.

 

I have checked Tice's Dating Buttons book but struck out - didn't see anything there. Also checked the McGuinn/Bazelon book, I didn't find anything there either.

 

I did a Google search and found a few other police buttons with this backmark. One seller listed it as made by Scovill. That's possible, but did not see that marking listed in the back die listings in Appendix A of the McGuinn/Bazelon book, which lists "customers whose names appear on the buttons manufactured each company."

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  • 2 years later...

I was wondering which edition of Albert's book you recommend? I see there's the edition you mention in your post and a Bicentennial Edition. I really appreciate all of the information in this thread, it's very helpful and very interesting.

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I have the Bicentennial Edition. I'm not sure there is a difference with other editions, other than different printing dates, I could be wrong. But if there is a newer edition, may have some buttons incorporated in the right place in the book that were just lumped in a supplement at the end of the book in the Bicentennial Ed.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have the Bicentennial Edition. I'm not sure there is a difference with other editions, other than different printing dates, I could be wrong. But if there is a newer edition, may have some buttons incorporated in the right place in the book that were just lumped in a supplement at the end of the book in the Bicentennial Ed.

 

Thank you sir, I appreciate the information.

 

Bill

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  • 2 months later...
cagedfalcon

This seems the place to post buttons for ID.

Picked this up a week ago in a group of buttons.

It is 15.5mm, 3 piece. Top banner? bottom banner says Maine, 2 sailors, one with anchor other with?

Any idea?

 

Thank you

 

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Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

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This seems the place to post buttons for ID.

Picked this up a week ago in a group of buttons.

It is 15.5mm, 3 piece. Top banner? bottom banner says Maine, 2 sailors, one with anchor other with?

 

From what I've been able to determine, it's a State of Maine, state seal civil war coat button. The Maine state seal was adopted in 1820 and has gone through several revisions. The seal is comprised of a farmer and a sailor representing Maine’s sea industry with the motto “DIRIGO” (“I lead” or “I direct”), which the word "Dirigo" is at the top of your button.

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cagedfalcon

 

From what I've been able to determine, it's a State of Maine, state seal civil war coat button.  The Maine state seal was adopted in 1820 and has gone through several revisions. The seal is comprised of a farmer and a sailor representing Maine’s sea industry with the motto “DIRIGO” (“I lead” or “I direct”), which the word "Dirigo" is at the top of your button.

Thanks AZNation, you are a well of knowledge

 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

 

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I echo aznation's assessment that this is a button from Maine. Probably worn late 1800's/early 1900's. State Seal buttons were popular for state militia units (and sometimes state officials) prior to the standardization of US Army buttons in 1902. The backmark is Jacob Reed's Sons / Phila, maker of many such State Seal buttons for several states.

 

dag

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  • 1 year later...

Hi. I could really use some help identifying a button I found amongst my grandpa's hardware collection. It's about the size of a penny, 2cm across, 5mm thick, 2 piece, extremely light weight, no back stamp. I'm having trouble making out the text, but it appears the banner on the left reads NFORTINSDAN and the banner on the right reads FANSPEUR. 

 

At the top is a crown with 5points. In the center are 2 animals divided by laurel. The one on the left resembles a bat's head the one on the right resembles a koala. There is a banner beneath each animal and laurel branches on both sides surrounding the design from bottom to crown.

 

My grandpa was in WW2 in Australia and Paupaua New Guinea. My mom thinks it might be his father's WW1 uniform button. He was in France, but was an American.

 

Please help if you can

20201229_180847.jpg

20201229_180406.jpg

20201229_180213.jpg

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The button shown is a fashion button copy of a British military button. You can tell by the indistinct artwork, the shank, the lack of a backmark, and the general way it is made.

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According to the 'American Military Button Makers And Dealers; Their Backmarks & Dates' book, all Jacob Reed buttons are post civil war.  If you don't have this book, I highly recommend it.  This book goes hand in hand with the Albert's Button Book.  

 

 

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