Need Help With Button Identification

[Doc Bach]

Hello fellow members I went to an old haunt on Thursday for a few slow hours but I did manage to find a few nice buttons including this early one piece eagle.I have the Warren K. Tice Uniform buttons 1776-1865 book but cannot seem to locate it and i'm hoping that one of the experts out there might know something about it.I apologize for the poor quality photos as I am learning a new camera.If you look closely you will notice two letters below the eagles perch V T or V I ? The Back-mark is not that legible either as there is a lot of wear and I did not want to clean it very much.

Thanks Everyone!

[Geologyhound]

I believe the back says Young Smith & Co New York.  They were manufacturing buttons during the Civil War.

Looking for more info...

[Doc Bach]

19 minutes ago, Geologyhound said:

I believe the back says Young Smith & Co New York.  They were manufacturing buttons during the Civil War.

Looking for more info...

Thanks GH I just blew up the second pic and it looks like there is a another letter in the lineup ahead of the V looks like an N? 

[Geologyhound]

Couldn’t see it that well on the picture.  But, I am guessing they are Roman numerals. Could it be an X?  If so it would be 16 (XVI).

[Doc Bach]

11 minutes ago, Geologyhound said:

Couldn’t see it that well on the picture.  But, I am guessing they are Roman numerals. Could it be an X?  If so it would be 16 (XVI).

 You could be correct that makes sense thanks.

[kac]

Might be older, civ war buttons I found have all been 2 piece.

[BigSkyGuy]

From:

"Record of American Uniform and Historical Buttons - Bicentennial Edition" by Alphaeus H. Albert

[Doc Bach]

11 minutes ago, BigSkyGuy said:

From:

"Record of American Uniform and Historical Buttons - Bicentennial Edition" by Alphaeus H. Albert

Bingo BigSkyGuy! Thanks a million and much obliged.One can only imagine how it ended up at a trading site in Northern California.

[caprock]

This button is from the New York Legion, also known as Stevenson's Regiment, The data from the button books is incorrect. Soldiers from Stevenson's Regiment were mustered out at SF, Sonoma and Monterrey just as the gold rush began, and these soldiers were the first among the first to hit the goldfields in 1848 and were responsible for many early gold discoveries in the foothills of the Sierra. There buttons turn up in gold camp generally from El Dorado county south to Mariposa. Very historic button. Google Stevenson's Regiment and you will see the vast history and importance of the regiment to CA.

[Tom_in_CA]

I see others beat me to the punch.  Yes, it's the highly coveted N.Y.L. button. 

 

And as caprock points out, one of their bivwac assignment locations was Monterey, CA (where I live) I've found 2 so far.  And I've seen 3 or 4 others found by buddies in this coastal CA area.   And they get found in G.R. sites , and are highly prized. 

 

They were only here in Monterey for a short time , before the gold rush broke out, and they all headed to the gold rush  🙂

 

Not sure of a value, but way-back-when, when I had found one, was offered something on the order of $300 for it, if I recall.  Others have been found since then, so I'm not sure of what current collector demand ($$) would be.  But just that :  They are a niche-unto themselves to find, amongst button enthusiasts and CA history buffs.

 

Congratz !