Button Identification Help (very Unusual)

[dogodog]

The ships look identical, too much alike not to be the same. This keeps getting better. Do you know the time frames for the gold camp?

[caprock]

Dog i edited my previous post, with dates.

[dogodog]

cap I'm finding a lot more early to late 1800's stuff now that I weeded out the modern. I'd say on average most date to the 1890's to 1920's. I just ordered a larger coil for my MK and hope that gets me to some of the better targets. This place has been regraded over the years and I seem to find older things in weird small patches of ground.

[GB_Amateur]

2 hours ago, caprock said:

Here's another version from a California gold camp,

The California sites are 1850s-80s, but hold older items as well.

Three similar buttons, but none identical.  California gold camps from the mid-1800's?  Oriental designs on the buttons?  I see a growing connection.  Someone is going to crack this wide open.  2Valen needs to contact his buddies who specialize in Oriental antiques.

BTW, I played around with Google Image Search, including sketching a couple individual designs from the buttons and trying to just match them.  Either I don't know how to use it to its full potential (likely) or that software/app is grossly in its infancy.

[1515Art]

54 minutes ago, GB_Amateur said:

Three similar buttons, but none identical.  California gold camps from the mid-1800's?  Oriental designs on the buttons?  I see a growing connection.  Someone is going to crack this wide open.  2Valen needs to contact his buddies who specialize in Oriental antiques.

BTW, I played around with Google Image Search, including sketching a couple individual designs from the buttons and trying to just match them.  Either I don't know how to use it to its full potential (likely) or that software/app is grossly in its infancy.

This is in no way definitive, but growing up in China my wife is pretty familiar with most Chinese symbolism and the images on the button didn’t speak to her in a way that said Chinese? But I agree the gold camp connection is intriguing. 

[caprock]

Art,

can you translate this banner, it is from a circa 1852 store in Michigan Flat Ca, run by the Stanfords. Would be greatly appreciated. It is the only photographic evidence that at least in this case, white miners catered to the local Chinese needs.

 

[dogodog]

I think I will send the photos to the Metropolitan museum in NY and see if they can help with the id. I think these buttons are something good (or hope).  Great old photo cap, can't wait to see what it translates to.

[1515Art]

26 minutes ago, caprock said:

Art,

can you translate this banner, it is from a circa 1852 store in Michigan Flat Ca, run by the Stanfords. Would be greatly appreciated. It is the only photographic evidence that at least in this case, white miners catered to the local Chinese needs.

 

Something to the effect of “Tangshan Grocery store, shop always have”

[caprock]

Art, that is AWESOME thank you so much!!

[dogodog]

Update,

I just spoke with the IOOF  and emailed mine and cap's photo's to them . The gentleman that I spoke with said if he could not identify the buttons, he would forward them to the UK for further evaluation. I hope this pans out. Fingers crossed.