Buttons from the goldfields


Found my new favorite button recently, not sure if the one with 11 on it is also police.

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Good one, Dave!! Did you find the old school area or prove it didn’t exist?
Super curious.
Cheers
Warren

Nope, that one’s still a mystery. This was another miners camp in the area. The number 11 one is quite interesting too, looks a lot like a french regimental button from the American Revolution.

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People went from the USA to Oz at that time .1861-1865 was the civil war, but the Revolution was 1775-1783. If the button is from then, it’s over 200 years old !!
Would be marvellous if its from that era. Someone must have treasured the jacket of whatever it was which had the button attached.

Somehow missed this post Dave . Couple of excellent buttons with the regimental one being a special find unlikely to ever turn up again . Coincidentally i also found a rural police button about 6 weeks ago . Found it at Lefroy but not in as good as condition as yours . Well hunted .

Probably the same spot! Some one had a pretty good go at it before I got there but scrounged up a few little targets. In sight of a main road?

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Yep right near the road ! Somebody else had been there just before me too , and left some nuggets , Phew !

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Dug some more mid 1800’s buttons and couldn’t believe it when one of them turned out to be exactly the same as one I dug a few months ago on a different goldfield. Wonder if it came from the same jacket! The back makers mark on this one was legible too, Gowans, Gerrard st, London so must be an English regimental number.

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Slaying it Dave ! some beauty’s there .

Hi Dave Buttuns are made by James McGowan Button maker at 32 gerrard st london seen him registered in the 11830s and 1840s so far so maybe crimean war?

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Cheers Indi, good research. Might have been made for export before war broke out then sold off cheap and repurposed to a regiment bound for a new colony.