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July 16th, 2012: Silver Washington and can anyone help with military-esque button top?

pcgs69pcgs69 Posts: 4,324 ✭✭✭✭
Got out today to silver canada field, 55 wheat cent field, whatever you want to call it...

Started right off with a 62 D washington quarter.

Not much else for the next hour or so...Toward the end of the hunt I get a sort of zincoln signal under some tree roots. After digging a little bit, what came out first looked like the top of a silver ring - this thing came out CLEAN - like silver does.

I don't see any flaking or anything like that, so it's solid metal whatever it is. I tried the silver test and I thought it turned deep red, but it looks like it's just where it pooled and looked red. So, I also tried it on aluminum and had similar response with the silver test solution. HOWEVER, I've never seen aluminum come out of the ground like this - it was bright. And it was right in the middle of pine tree roots.

Now, my first thought was military, but the design looks almost a little too ... half-assed to be military. But, not sure what else it could be if not military. Does anyone recognize such a piece? And, any idea on what metal it could be? Age? Thanks for any help you can provide!

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Comments

  • That does look weird. Any backmark?
  • pcgs69pcgs69 Posts: 4,324 ✭✭✭✭
    Unfortunately, the back is missing. Here's an image of trying the silver solution on the reverse.

    image
  • nice find.
    I am a Viet-Nam combat vet and this is similar to the small buttons on my set of Class A's
    I think it is the covering on a Class A Uniform button, as small as it is it is probably from either a shoulder stap or breast pocket button.
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,530 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yeah, it does look like a GI button, but I get more of a World War I-ey vibe from it. Just a wild guess.

    I had no idea any were done in silver, as this certainly appears to be. Perhaps the Albert book will mention that if it is the case. (No time to take down my copy of Albert- I gotta hit the shower and head for work soon.)

    PS- if silver, we're obviously dealing with an officer's button here.

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  • << <i>nice find.
    I am a Viet-Nam combat vet and this is similar to the small buttons on my set of Class A's
    I think it is the covering on a Class A Uniform button, as small as it is it is probably from either a shoulder stap or breast pocket button. >>



    I dont understand why I don't see this posting when I sign on, unless I click refresh then I see it, any explainations.

    Maybe it has to do with trying to post a photo using the image tab, as I tried to showan extra button that would be my
    unifrom. I'll try again, if it don't work maybe I should use photobucket
    DH
  • It is not necessarily that it would be from an Officers uniform. When I was in the service I found that there was no regulations stating that the buttons had to be brass, they could be silver, but you had to make sure all the buttons and insignias were all silver. So, needless to say I purchased all silver ones for one set of my Class A's

    D.H.
  • Jinx86Jinx86 Posts: 3,710 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Never knew I could get silver class A buttons. Not that mine fit me eight years after basic(last time I wore them).
  • pcgs69pcgs69 Posts: 4,324 ✭✭✭✭
    Well thats certainly interesting. So you can really choose any button color you want as long as they're all the same?

    For this particular button someone thought it might be some kind of weird un-tarnishable aluminum alloy. Since I couldn't definitively see the silver solution turn red, aluminum of some sort seems like a possibility. Unless its gold but what are the chances of a white gold button? Doesn't seem very high.

    It's weird because all that was used to clean this piece was soap and water. No polish.
  • It is an interesting story, but we were only limited to either Brass or Silver, not just any color. Which explians why it did'nt react to the solution as it is probably
    a brass base metal .

    D.H.
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,530 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>It is not necessarily that it would be from an Officers uniform. When I was in the service I found that there was no regulations stating that the buttons had to be brass, they could be silver, but you had to make sure all the buttons and insignias were all silver. So, needless to say I purchased all silver ones for one set of my Class A's >>

    I stand corrected. Didn't know that. Thanks.

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