Out of my private collection, this button is frequently seen in minty, non-excavated condition. This is because most of these did not make it through the blockade and were discovered in Bermuda or Europe after the war. I still think they are cool buttons and belong in any CW collection...but...

 

...this beauty was metal-detected in the 1980's in Petersburg, Virginia. (On private property!) The button retains 40% gilt and it's in all the perfect spots for definition. There is virtually no ground action (just a teeny bit around the backmark) yet it is clearly dug. It must've come from some very kind soil. The "Extra Rich Treble Gilt" backmark is perfectly visible with the naked eye. You find 100 of the non-dug warehouse buttons for every one of these that DID manage to make it through the blockade.

 

The shank is perfectly straight and rock-solid. The button is in perfect excavated condition with no cracks, holes, pushes or repairs. I hate to let this one go but I'm going to be content with just one CS Staff button in my collection for awhile. Maybe I'll get a chance to buy this one back some day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Print Email to a friend