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   March 23, 2008

Catalog of button backmarks 
W. G. Mintzer

William G Mintzer, Philadelphia, sold buttons to both north and south before the war and continued after the war until approximately 1869.  Some of the buttons bear the date "1861" thought to be a cover for buttons made for the smuggle trade. Steele & Johnson are believed to have been the actual producer.

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

Mintzer01As (14mm)
BmMintzer01As.jpg (27261 bytes)
"W. G. MINTZER / (dot) PHILD.. " dm, probably made by Steele & Johnson ca 1860
Tice page 136, item count 1,  modified
Back pictured is from VA16, Virginia state seal button (B4762) 

Mintzer03 (23mm)

Backmark: "W. G.  MINTZER.  / * PHILD.. * "dm between two rings of dots, probably Steele & Johnson ca 1860-1865 
Tice page 136, item count 3, [B14-19] modified
Back pictured is from Albert PA18B, Tice PA203B2, Pennsylvania staff button (B5287) 

Mintzer04  (21mm)
BmMintzer04.jpg (33430 bytes)
"W. G. MINTZER / (dot) PHILD.. * " rmdc in stippled field, back is silvered, probably Steele & Johnson ca 1860-1865
Tice page 136, item count 4, [B14-20] modified
Back pictured is from DR4, Federal Eagle Dragoon button (B4883)

Mintzer05 (23mm)
BmMintzer05.jpg (46024 bytes)
"W. G. MINTZER / * PHILA 1861 (dot)" rmdc on stippled field, back is silvered, likely "back dated" to cover smuggling operation, actual producer is probably Steel & Johnson
Tice page 136, item count 5, with modification
Back pictured is from GA2, Georgia state seal button (B4598)

Mintzer08 (23mm)
BmMintzer08.jpg (35313 bytes)
"W. G. MINTZER. / PHILD.. " dm, inner ring of dots, outer solid ring, Steele & Johnson ca 1860
Tice page 136, not listed
Back pictured is from VA16, Virginia state seal button (B4757)

[Reference to Ridgeway archive catalog of backmarks]

[Reference to Ridgeway archive catalog of buttons] 

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