 Confederate Adjutant General button |
The Civil War Relicman,
|
|
Winchester, Virginia
USA (changed hands 70 times in the Civil War!)
|
|
|
This page updated April 26, 2008 |
The Ridgeway Civil War
Archive
Confederate Artillery Buttons (CS101 to CS122)
This is a sampling of relics collected by Harry Ridgeway over the years. This archive record is for educational purposes only. Some of the relics listed may be on display at the Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester Virginia, some are no longer owned by the author. None of the items listed in this section are for sale, please refer to the separate sales catalog for items that are currently offered.
All items listed are believed to be authentic to the Civil War or as otherwise described. Any excavated relics have been recovered from private property with owners permission. This information is available for research purposes, pictures may be used by permission only.
B4614
Confederate Artillery stippled "A"
English imported button (24mm)
Button imported through the blockade, intended for the Confederate
Artillery, "A" is stippled on a plain background.
Backmark: "H T & B / * MANCHESTER * " dm on a very flat back, outer ring
of dots, English manufacture. (Hammond01)
Two part convex coat size button, flat brass back has tendency to work loose.
Stand up shank intact, nondug gilded button, some wear from use.
Ref: Albert CS101A, Tice CSA200A1
B4777
Confederate Artillery
stippled "A" English imported button (24mm)
Button imported through the blockade, intended for the Confederate
Artillery, "A" is stippled on a plain background.
Backmark: "H T & B / * MANCHESTER * " dm on a very flat back, outer ring
of dots, back is silvered, English import. (Hammond01Silver)
Two part convex coat size button, flat brass back has tendency to work loose.
Stand up shank intact, gilded nondug button, back is silvered!
Ref: Albert CS101A, Tice CSA200A1
B4065
Confederate Artillery Lined "A" English imported
button (22.5mm)
Button imported through the blockade, intended for the Confederate
Artillery, "A" is lined on a plain background.
Backmark: "SUPERIOR QUALITY / (dot) " dm, outer ring of dots, inner solid ring,
English manufacture, probably Smith Kemp Wright. (Superior01)
Two part convex coat size button, well made button with generic mark.
Stand up shank intact, gilded nondug button.
Ref: Albert CS102A2, Tice CSA203A3
B5383
Confederate Artillery Lined "A" English
imported button (19.5mm)
Button imported through the blockade, intended for the Confederate
Artillery, "A" is lined on a plain background.
Backmark: "P. TAIT & Co / (dot) LIMERICK (dot) " dm outer ring of dots, floating
shank, English manufacture. (Tait01Am)
Low convex two part medium or vest size button, only made in this
size. Floating shank design was intended to enable the button to lay flatter
on the garment, but the shank was not durable.
Stand up shank intact, top grade gilded nondug button.
Ref: Albert CS103A, Tice CSA206B1
B4290
Confederate Artillery Lined "A"
English imported button (19.5mm)
Button imported through the blockade, intended for the Confederate
Artillery, "A" is lined on a plain background.
Backmark: "SMITH KEMP & WRIGHT/ (dot) BIRMINGHAM (dot) " dm, outer ring of dots,
inner ring of sunrays, English maker. (SmithKemp04)
Two part low convex coat size button, well made button bearing the maker's name,
most buttons believed to have been produced by Smith Kemp Wright employed
generic marks or agents names. Shank is fixed, not floating.
Stand up shank intact, clean attractive dug button.
Recovered: Moncks Corner SC (near Charleston).
Ref: Albert CS103 not listed, Tice CSA206B2
Note: Albert listed a lined A button with this backmark as CS102A, This is the same die pattern as the lined A button with Superior Quality and Courtney & Tennent series of backmarks. The Superior Quality patterns (A, I and C) are all larger buttons (22.5mm) and are highly convex. This pattern is smaller and low convex. I think that Albert probably did intend that listing to cover this button, but in my opinion the two patterns are not alike at all so I am not classifying this button with any of the CS102 series of buttons. Tice listed a button with this backmark also under the CS102 series (Tice CSA203A2), also 23mm. Both listings may have intended to describe this button, but if so I am treating as misclassified. Tice also reported a low convex button with Smith Kemp Wright backmark as CSA206B2. That listing seems to more accurately describe this button although it is listed as having a floating shank and not the fixed shank that is actually on this button. Other P Tait backs with this face do have the floating shank, but I am not aware of any Smith Kemp Wright or Smith and Wright buttons with floating shanks, although they could exist. If I find one I will amend this listing, but for now I am assuming such a button does not exist.
B5484
Confederate Artillery Manuscript "A"
English imported button (22.5mm)
Button imported through the blockade, intended for the Confederate
Artillery, "A" is fancy manuscript style on plain background.
Backmark: "HALFMANN & TAYLOR / (dot) MONTGOMERY (dot) / ALABAMD" dm
two rings of dots, outer ring is crudely formed. "Alabama" is not actually
misspelled, this was English convention of the time. English manufacture
smuggled through the blockade. (HalfmannT02)
Low convex two part coat size button, well made button.
Stand up shank intact, high grade dug button.
Recovered: Charleston SC by Rocky Sommers
Ref: Albert CS105A, Tice CSA212A1
B5381
Confederate Artillery Manuscript "A" English imported button (22.5mm)
Button imported through the blockade, intended for the Confederate
Artillery, "A" is fancy manuscript style on plain background.
Backmark: "HALFMANN & TAYLOR / (dot) MONTGOMERY (dot)" dm two rings
of dots, outer ring is crudely formed. English manufacture smuggled
through the blockade (HalfmannT01)
Low convex two part coat size button, well made button.
Stand up shank intact, beautiful gilded nondug button.
Ref: Albert CS105A1, Tice CSA212A2
B4839
Confederate Artillery script "A" English imported
button (22.5mm)
Button imported through the blockade, intended for the Confederate
Artillery, "A" is fancy script style on plain background.
Backmark: "S. ISAACS CAMPBELL & CO. / (dot) LONDON (dot) / 71. JERMYN.
ST." dm outer ring of dots, inner solid ring, English import, probably
made by Smith Kemp Wright. (Isaacs02)
Convex two part coat size button, well made button.
Standup shank intact, attractive gilded nondug button.
Ref: Albert CS107A1, Tice CSA215A1
B5251
Confederate Artillery script "A" English imported
button (22.5mm)
Button imported through the blockade, intended for the Confederate
Artillery, "A" is fancy script style on plain background.
Backmark: "S. ISAACS CAMPBELL & CO. / (dot) LONDON (dot) / 71. JERMYN.
ST." dm outer ring of dots, inner solid ring, English import, probably
made by Smith Kemp Wright. (Isaacs02)
Convex two part coat size button, well made button.
Stand up shank intact, clean face outstanding dug button.
Recovered: Charleston, SC
Ref: Albert CS107A1, Tice CSA215A1
B4295
Confederate Artillery script "A"
English imported button (22.5mm)
Button imported through the blockade, intended for the Confederate
Artillery, "A" is fancy script style on plain background. This may be a
die variant, A does not appear to be lined.
Backmark: "S. ISAACS CAMPBELL & CO. / (dot) LONDON (dot) / 71. JERMYN.
ST." dm outer ring of dots, inner solid ring, English import, probably
made by Smith Kemp Wright. (Isaacs02)
Convex two part coat size button, well made button.
Standup shank intact, attractive gilded nondug button.
Ref: Albert CS107 not listed, Tice CSA215A1 variant
B4090
Confederate Artillery block "A"
southern manufactured "local" button (22.5mm)
Confederate wartime manufacture for Artillery troops, simple block "A" on plain
field, copper back.
Backmark: "E. M. LEWIS & CO. / RICHMOND. VA. " rmdc,
southern wartime manufacture. (Lewis01)
Two part convex coat size button, crude southern "local" manufacture, brass face
with copper back, copper wire shank, back is very crudely crimped.
Stand up shank intact, top grade nondug button.
Ref: Albert CS116A, Tice CSA240A1
B3829
Confederate Artillery block "A", false three
part, southern manufactured "local" button (21.6mm)
Confederate wartime manufacture for Artillery troops, block "A" on plain field.
Button is very high convex and apparently designed
to appear to be a three part staff button, but the fat rim is integral to
the two part design
Backmark: blank with a channel, possible product of Wildt & Klein, Columbia SC
(BlankLocal20)
Two part highly convex coat size button with wide rim, southern
"local" manufacture, brass face with brass back, copper wire shank.
Shank missing, attractive dug button with clean patina, rare pattern.
Recovered: Stafford County, Va
Ref: Albert CS116 to 117 not listed, Tice CSA241A1
B5384
Confederate Artillery block "A"
southern manufactured "local" button (22.5mm)
Confederate wartime manufacture for Artillery troops, simple block "A"
on plain field, iron back.
Backmark: iron back, weak ring around the shank, no other markings, backs are
always crudely crimped. (BlankLocal07)
Two part convex coat size button, crude southern "local" manufacture, brass face
with iron back, copper wire shank, back is very crudely crimped.
Stand up shank, top grade nondug button.
Ref: Albert CS117A, Tice CSA243A1 (iron back)
B3221
Confederate Artillery block "A"
southern manufactured "local" button (22.5mm)
Confederate wartime manufacture for Artillery troops, simple block "A" on plain
field, iron back.
Backmark: iron back, weak ring around the shank, no other markings, backs are
always crudely crimped. (BlankLocal07)
Two part convex coat size button, crude southern "local" manufacture, brass face
with iron back, copper wire shank, back is very crudely crimped.
Stand up shank, superb example of this rare local note button is off center, a
flaw in manufacture which caused a blemish at the
top. This unusually crude button got past the inspectors!
Ref: Albert CS117A, Tice CSA243A1 (iron back)