Confederate Adjutant General button	The Civil War Relicman, Harry Ridgeway
	Winchester, Virginia USA (changed hands 70 times in the Civil War!) I am a collector buying and selling authentic Civil War Relics
	This page updated   April 30, 2008

Catalog of button backmarks
Courtney & Tennent, Charleston, SC

Courtney & Tennent was a military goods dealer operating in Charleston SC.  They had direct ties to the English cotton trade, and became an importer of smuggled goods for the Confederacy.  The buttons were made by Firmin & Sons.   

Most information on this page is from Tice's book, Dating Buttons..., the pictures are generally from buttons that I have handled.  

Courtney01 (22mm) 

Backmark:  "COURTNEY & TENNENT / (dot) S. C (dot) / CHARLESTON. " dm, flat back, Firmin made the button .
Tice page 190 item count 1 [C4-7], with modification. 

Examples with this backmark: 
B5479     Confederate Navy officer, "CSN", English imported button (22.3mm)  

Ref: Albert CS54A, Tice CSN208A1

Courtney02Am (18mm) 

"COURTNEY & / TENNENT" dm inner ring of dots outer edge is beveled, made by Firmin
Tice page 190 item count 2 

Examples with this backmark: 
B4765     Confederate Navy officer, "CSN", English imported button (18mm)

Ref: Albert CS54Av, Tice CSN208Am1 

Courtney03As (16mm) 
 
Backmark:   "COURTNEY & TENNENT " dm outer rim is beveled, made by Firmin 
Tice page 190 item count 3 

Examples with this backmark: 
B5264     Confederate Navy officer, "CN", English imported button (15.8mm)  

Ref: Albert CS55Av not listed, Tice CSN210As1  

Note that the two backmarks, Courtney03Am 17.5mm and , Courtney03As 16mm, are the same backmark in substance.  However this was made for buttons of two different sizes and the die maker had to cut two distinctly different dies, the main difference is in the spacing of the letters. 

Courtney04 (26mm) 

Backmark: "COURTNEY & TENNENT / (dot) * (dot)" dm, outer ring of dots, inner solid ring, English manufacture, probably Smith Kemp Wright
Tice page 190, not listed 

Examples with this backmark: 
B5431     Confederate staff officer "CSA" English imported button (26mm) 

Ref: Albert CS1A1, TiceCS201A3 

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[Reference to Ridgeway archive catalog of buttons] 

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[Reference to Ridgeway archive catalog of backmarks]

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