Old button found in England

Rhack

Found in a ploughed field outside of Ipswich. Any ideas on the period and type of clothing this would have been found on? Silver/Pweter color, very smooth. Found a long time ago, I don't recall having to clean it very much.

eyoung429

I may be mistaken, but that actually looks like an engine valve from a lawn mower....what is the diameter?

Rhack

About an inch I would say. It does look like a valve. A valve is solid forged though, so the top would have to exhibit a broken stem. The two holes I believe are for a loop that was used for fastening to clothing.

lordmarcovan

Looks like it could very well be a late 18th/early 19th century flat button to me.

speer34

Rhack,

It's most definitely a button. Not quite sure what the time frame is but what LM says is probably correct. I have found my fair share of those very types of buttons right here in the UK over the past couple of months.

HH

lordmarcovan

And I find them here on old plantation sites in Georgia, which date from between the Revolutionary and US Civil War periods, which is why I would date that similar piece between the late-1700's and mid-1800's.

DinoUK

Yep, I'm with Speer and LM on this.
Dig a lot in the UK, I tend to call them overall buttons...the type you get on sets of overalls and boiler suits.