Possible Buckshot Struck Button

[Cumpston1862]

Gents-

I came across this item today and thought I would share it. Follow the link below to a relic dealer that has a federal eagle button that was recovered at a middle Tennesse battlefield site. Bullet/buckshot struck who can say for sure but interesting nonetheless.

Pan down to item # 4.

http://www.midtenrelics.com/update.htm

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Possible Buckshot Struck Button

Hallo!



Always a possibility, not likely a probability.

NOT saying it is, but....

There is a whole field or area of fakes involving belt and breast plates and projectiles. The more "sophisticated" of the counterfeits involve using an original plate and an original projectile so that "indeed" the thing appears to have age and patina.

IMHO, for the undamaged bucksot to have hit a brass button and not be deformed but permantly stuck into it with so little distortion and not being defleclting off at an angle... plus the deformation of the brass is in the opposite direction of the ball strike implying that it struck from the top down. well a bit too much for me.
But granted a Federal could have been falling forward or lying on the ground exposing the top of the button to the path of the ball....

At any rate, the pieces here do not add up to a compelling and believeable story, IMHO.

Not saying it is a fake or fraud.... but I would not be a buyer, others might.

Others' mileage may vary...

Curt
Student of the Culture of Fakery and Counterfeiting Mess

[Cumpston1862]

Re: Possible Buckshot Struck Button

Gents-

I would not disagree with Curt's assessment except that I don't think they were implying THAT particular buckshot hit the button rather that the indentation was about the size of one.

I too am less inclined to believe the button was Civil War projectile "struck". The angle as Curt mentioned is rather odd and I would think even a buckshot would tear a thin piece of brass like that to shreds. But who knows? The button was certainly hit/damaged by something. We will probably never know for sure but the possibility of it having been found on a battlefield in middle Tennessee and having that size of a dent is interesting.

I guess the question should be put to our relic digging pards. Is a button with this sort of damage uncommon? And what are their thoughts?