(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 05, 2008
(Confederate Adjutant General button) |
The Civil War Relicman, |
|
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 05, 2008 |
Catalog of button backmarks
William H Smith & Co , New York
W.H. Smith operated generally from the 1830's to around 1858. W H Smith was an outfitter, buttons were generally made by Scovill.
Most information on this page is from Tice's book, Dating Buttons..., the pictures are generally from buttons that I have handled.
SmithWH03 (22mm)
"WM. H. SMITH & CO / * NEW - YORK * " dm between one
outer solid ring, and two inner rings,
Scovill produced ca 1840's to 1850's.
Tice page 141, item count 3 [B15-10] with modification.
Back pictured on the left is from MS35 Massachusetts staff (B4956).
Back pictured on the right is from another Mass button (B4826) and is simply a weaker stamping. The dot after "CO" is merely debris in the die. What appears to be an inner ring on the left, and which is absent on the right, is merely machining scratches, probably when applying the shank.
SmithWH04 (23mm)
"WM. H. SMITH & CO
/ * NEW - YORK * " rmdc on a stippled field, Scovill manufacture 1840 -
1858
Tice page 141, item count 4 [B15-11] with modification.
Back pictured is from VA4 Virginia state seal (B4422)
The back pictured in the middle is another example of VA4 (B4423), shows the dash within New York better. Sometimes small characters and punctuation will appear or be absent from one button to the next due to debris in the die when struck.
The back on the right is yet another example of VA4 (B5066), which is the sharpest stamping of the three. Note also the ring in the middle on two of the examples. I believe this is created during either the shanking or crimping process and is not from the die. A lot of buttons will show irregular rings inside around the shank, these are from assembly and not from the die, in my opinion.
SmithWH06 (22mm)
"WM. H. SMITH & CO / (dot) NEW - YORK (dot) "
rmdc on a stippled field, Scovill manufactured 1840's or 1850's
Tice page 141, not listed
Back pictured is from VA9 Virginia state seal high convex button (B4433)
SmithWH07 (23mm)
"WM H. SMITH & CO. / NEW YORK. " rmdc stippled
channel, Scovill manufacture 1850's
Tice page 141, not listed
Back pictured is from VA13 Virginia state seal sword down button (B4438)