# Help identify political pin and a Button found in privy



## diggerdirect (Jul 3, 2012)

Here is a pin and a button found in a privy I haven't been able to identify. The pin is pretty rough shape but writing can barely be made out around border. The button is rough as well, has an eagle facing left and on back Scoville Mfg Co Waterbury

 Any help identifying who the guy is greatly appreciated!

 The pin






 The button










 Thanks, Al


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## cyberdigger (Jul 3, 2012)

Martin Van Buren?


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## botlguy (Jul 3, 2012)

I'd say those two items are in pretty decent condition and well worth keeping even though they may not be what avid collectors are looking for condition wise. Hope you find out more about them and will share that with us.


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## surfaceone (Jul 3, 2012)

Kudos to the Charles.







Martin.


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## cyberdigger (Jul 3, 2012)

Van Buren's own election as president in 1836 was precipitated by crisis. Under the Jackson administration, land speculation had run rampant nationwide. When Congress failed to intervene, banks issued great numbers of loans without backing them up with security. The speculation continued until Jackson ordered the government to accept only gold or silver as payment on land. The result was the so-called Panic of 1837, a devastating financial crash that led to the first large-scale economic depression in U.S. history. By 1840 Van Buren had convinced Congress to pass the Independent Treasury Bill. It provided for federally controlled vaults to store all federal monies; transactions were to be conducted in hard currency. The independent treasury protected federal deposits until 1841, when it was abolished. President james k. polk brought it back in 1846.


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## diggerdirect (Jul 3, 2012)

Thanks for the info!, sure looks like him, gives me a name to search on! A friend of mine stopped by this afternoon and showed these to me that he found in a pit over the weekend to see if I could identify them so I snapped a few pics. 

  The button, approx 7/8" in diameter I think is a federal general service button, civil war era, but I'm not positive on that.

   I thought they were in pretty good shape considering, most things like this I find are unrecognizable or worse because many of the privies I get into are waterlogged due to the heavy clay mix of the surrounding soil, the soggy 'muck' doesn't lend itself to sifting very well either.[:'(])

   Thanks again for the info!

 Al


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## surfaceone (Jul 3, 2012)

Hey Al,

 Great finds for the Fourth.

 Did'ya see this stuff on Scovile:

 "Sometimes one of the best indicators of button age is the manufacturers backmarks. Here are examples of the American manufacturer Scovill, and their 19th century backmarks as reported by Albert (1976): 

 LEVENWORTH, HAYDEN & SCOVILL (also as LH&S) 1811-1827 
 J.M.L. & W.H. SCOVILL 1827-1840 
 SCOVILLS : 1827-1840 
 SCOVILLS & CO. : 1840-1850 
 SCOVILL MANUFACTURING CO. : 1850-1960 
 SCOVILL Mg. Co.: 1850-1865 
 SCOVILL Mg. Co. / WATERBURY CT. 1850-1865 
 SCOVILL Mf'g Co. : WATERBURY CT. 1850-1865 
 SCOVILL Mf'g Co. WATERBURY : 1850-1865 
 SCOVILL Mfg Co. WATERBURY CT. : 1850-1865

 Keep in mind that using Scovill backmark lettering (including dots and stars) is not a foolproof method because Scovill often used old backmark dies to make newer buttons. Thus it is possible to have a World War I "Great Seal" button with an 1850 backmark. Another nuance is that while text may remain the same, other embellishments on Scovill buttons change with time. An 1850 backmark may have the name in a groove or one or two rings made of fine lines or tiny dots, whereas a later button may have no ring of dots (like the Great Seal general service button below.

 Here are Scovill examples we have observed: 
 SCOVILL MF'G CO. WATERBURY CT. 1872-1902 (on GI 98, ring of large dots)
 SCOVILL MF'G CO. * WATERBURY *: 1902-est. 1918 
 (on Great Seal coat buttons with ring of large dots)




From.


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## BillinMo (Jul 3, 2012)

Those are some interesting finds.  The image sure looks like Van Buren.  Incidentally, I'm descended from Martin Van Buren's brother.

 I'm wondering about the age of it, though.  I noticed the picture is rendered in halftone (a series of dots, like you would see in newspapers).  That method wasn't used until the 1870s, which is way after Van Buren's campaign time.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halftone.  I'm wondering if maybe it's from a later event?


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## diggerdirect (Jul 3, 2012)

> ORIGINAL:  BillinMo
> 
> Those are some interesting finds.  The image sure looks like Van Buren.  Incidentally, I'm descended from Martin Van Buren's brother.
> 
> I'm wondering about the age of it, though.  I noticed the picture is rendered in halftone (a series of dots, like you would see in newspapers).  That method wasn't used until the 1870s, which is way after Van Buren's campaign time.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halftone.  I'm wondering if maybe it's from a later event?


 
 Hi Bill, I wonder the age as well, these were the only two items he brought, but judging from what else he described finding it was likely a TOC pit maybe into the 20's. Some salt glazed stoneware found were probably late throws.

   I think thats why I'm having a time pinning down this pin (?) The key is deciphering the lettering but my photos just dont cut it & I didnt have alot of time to examine it. I see cracker jacks had a Van Buren pin as a prize in the 20s, perhaps other candy or cereal &c. had pins put out also & it could be something along those lines. I'll get the pin back this weekend and have a better go at it.


 surfaceone, thanks for the link & charts. I never realized there were so many 'ifs & ands' in the button world ! The holes in that button are as interesting as the button to me, one looks almost man made. 

 Al


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## AntiqueMeds (Jul 4, 2012)

The button is a standard federal enlisted man's uniform button.  Pretty bad shape unfortunately. I think I have dug at least 200-300 of those over the years. Its the most common uniform button.


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