BOOK REVIEW: AMERICAN MILITARY BUTTONS

Early American coin designers sought ways to depict the unique American character through tiny patriotic icons and legends on tiny disks of metal that would clearly invoke the ideals of Liberty, Freedom, and States United. Private token makers would likewise imitate early federal coin designs to make small disks with patriotic-themed advertising intentionally resembling coins.

Yet, another group of manufacturers faced these same design challenges as coin and token makers. America's first military uniform buttons were flat, one-piece buttons about the size of a large cent that needed to distinguish all branches of federal military service, state militias, and civilian government officials. These too hold patriotic obverse designs like coins, but with a shank attached on the reverse, often surrounded by the manufacturer's advertising like tokens.

A new guide to these fascinating hybrid bits of early American identity is available in American Military Buttons – An Interpretive Study – The Early Years 1785 – 1835, by Bruce Bazelon and William Leigh, Woonsocket Rhode Island, Mowbray Publishing, 2024. Nicely illustrated in color, are 224 pages with images of thousands of rare American uniform buttons gathered from many lifetime collections including the U.S. Army Center of Military History. Historic buttons are identified and interpreted with the work dedicated to The Society of American Buttonists. The authors present new information to trace the development of American patriotic heraldry through button types, manufacturers, and attributions from the end of the Revolution to 1835. This is an on-going project with the authors welcoming reports of new discoveries to be added to the text.

In the late 18th century well-to-do individuals and fraternal organizations would design and have made sets of livery buttons with family crests and institutional heraldry. Military officers expected nothing less. Uniform buttons of the American officers and enlisted of the regular army from 1792 to 1835 needed to distinguish regiments of infantry, artillery, riflemen, dragoons, and specialized officers of ordinance, artillerists, engineering, and artificers, along with state militias, nautical services, marines, and the civilian diplomatic corps. These historic buttons are pictured, given full provenance as to identity, manufacturer, and era of use.

In a fascinating parallel to numismatics, many types of American symbols, stemming in inspiration from the original Great Seal of the United States, state coinage, and currency are employed on these buttons. English-button makers copied various American document seals, gold coins, and American-theme Condor tokens available to them during George Washington's presidency in the hopes of selling military goods to the new United States Government. English manufacturers failing to sell coins with the establishment of the Mint at Philadelphia, recycled some coin designs into new endeavors to sell uniform buttons.

For instance, English-button maker Carter on Lombard Street sold gold-washed, U.S. Army Staff Officer buttons, closely duplicating the eagle standing, with laurel wreath in mouth, the same design as the reverse of U.S. five and ten dollar gold pieces of 1795 – 1797. Used from 1799 into the War of 1812, these have long been incorrectly classified as Diplomatic Corps buttons. An excavated example was found at Sackets Harbor, New York.

 
English made U.S. Infantry Officer Button by Carter
on Lombard Street, London (circa 1799)

Another example are uniform buttons of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of the State of Massachusetts with standing Native American with bow, arrow, and star design used on the obverse of Massachusetts coppers of 1787-1788.

 

1787 Massachusetts Cent, reverse (left) with Massachusetts Artillery silver-washed button (circa 1810 - 1820 on right) by Aaron Peasley of Boston/London.

Many uniform button designs will ring familiar with numismatists who are familiar with colonial, early federal, and state-issued seals, medals, paper currency, and patriotic items. To order: call Mowbray Publishing at 800 999-4697; go to www.gunandswordcollector.com or contact author William Leigh at www.civilwarbuttons.com.

Tom adds:

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