Early American 1820 One-Piece Militia Eagle Button

Last month I posted this from a hunt I did at an early California camp:



MRH suggested to clean it up with Naval Jelly. I'd heard of using it in the past, but when I tried to track it down here around 5-6 years ago I couldn't find it, and I got Aluminum Jelly instead, which the guy at the store said was basically the same. I never had good luck with Aluminum Jelly. Today I was able to find some Loctite Naval Jelly at Lowes! Following the instructions, and using toothpicks to pick off the crud, I was shocked to see that the button still had gold gilt in the crudded up areas! Took a few applications and tooth pickings, but what a day and night difference on the button now!

One piece, about 21mm in diameter, brass, fully intact loop on the back:




I had previously found what appeared to be the same button at The Treasure Depot's Button Library that was ID'd as an 1820 Militia one piece button, do we agree this is actually what it is? It looks very similar, although not exact, like an 1820 Infantry button. Wish I had the button book, just don't find enough old buttons like this out here to justify the expenditure.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2018 06:46PM by Cal_cobra.

Nice job, Brian. Surly the position in the ground along with the gold gilding protects the button somewhat, nice!

Nice one!

Nice find.! World of difference after clean up

Great looking (old) button Brian and good job of cleaning. Naval Jelly works wonders on nickels, too. HH jim tn

Cleaned up nice. Great looking find. Congrats Brian.

El

Very nice Brian!

That cleaned up nice!

Good looking button. Much better than expected .Nice job!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2018 09:32PM by Jackpine.

Nice

Sweet!!

Turned out Nice!!

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Thanks everyone!

It's rare to find something like this on the West Coast, there just wasn't many Europeans out here prior to the gold rush, let alone U.S. military.

A friend has the Alberts Military buttons book and found it in there, it's a GI-67 1798-1802 Militia button



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/2018 10:16PM by Cal_cobra.

Excellent story. Excellent pictures. Excellent restoration. Cool history. And you deserved every bit of that find. Thanx for the update !

That's a cool looking button buddy.

Outstanding button! I thought I got them all. Just goes to show a place never gets totally hunt out.

Tom Slick Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Outstanding button! I thought I got them all. Just
> goes to show a place never gets totally hunt out.
>


Or ... in this situation/location: Never hunted

But seriously now: Even if we were the first to swing detectors there, it was still not a "cake walk". The research, time, reconn'ing, etc... to find the producing sites, is 90% of the time and energy. And then ..... let's be honest: There's sometimes "access" issues. So to even get on a good site in the first place, is not by "looking on the map for the nearest park or beach". We're taking into consideration scores of grading points. Like ...... the more obscure the history citations that lead us there, the better. So that there's less odds that not every Tom, Dick & Harry have likewise pounded it.

And in this particular location, even though we may have been the first to swing there, it was not "flush" with targets. It was a sparsely used site it seems. But once you're in a spot that ceased all usage after 1860-ish, you're "holding your breath" on every single beep that finally comes through your headphones

Tom Slick Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Outstanding button! I thought I got them all. Just goes to show a place never gets totally hunt out.

I'm glad you left something for us Where do you suppose the gold coins are you kindly left behind

Nice!!!

early!!Bet its really high domed!!

Congrats!

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla