SILVER REVOLUTIONARY WAR OFFICERS BUTTON 2ND CONNECTICUT WITH NOTE DAR NOTABLE

Description

SILVER REVOLUTIONARY WAR OFFICERS BUTTON 2ND CONNECTICUT WITH NOTE DAR NOTABLE
SILVER REVOLUTIONARY WAR OFFICERS BUTTON 2ND CONNECTICUT WITH NOTE DAR NOTABLE
Description
Presented for the collector of Revolutionary War buttons and insignia or the serious collector of Daughters of the American Revolution material is this gem in the form of a Revolutionary War officer's coat button attributed to the 2nd Connecticut Regiment with an associated collection provenance. The name on the outside of the envelope is that of Lora Haines Cook who was the President General of the Daughters of the American Revolution from 1923 to 1926. She was from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which is where this piece originated out of an estate. The envelope and accompanying card measures 5 5/8 inches wide by 4 3/8 inches in height. The envelope is blind stamped with the stationery mark of "WHITING." The inscription on the card inside states: "OFFICERS SILVER BUTTON OF THE 2ND CONNECTICUT REGIMENT REC'D FROM MR. WILLIAM CALVER JULY 4, 1924." Lora Cook received this gift during her tenure as the President General on a most auspicious day according to the inscription!
The button itself measures 1 inch in diameter and is made of silver. It is quite thin. There is a circular shank on the reverse that has been stitched to a rosette made of light blue silk ribbon. I didn't want to pull too much on it for fear of breaking the stitching. The ribbon and button are stitched to the piece of stationery.
Of particular note with regard to the inscription is the name William Calver. Calver was the first serious student of buttons dating from the American Revolution and detailed his archaeological endeavors in a book entitled "History Written with Pick and Shovel." As far as the correct attribution of this button is concerned, I believe several possibilities exist. Consultation of the book "Military Buttons of the American Revolution" by Don Troiani would be a must in order to follow this line of reasoning. The illustrated buttons of the 2nd Connecticut Regiment, while similar, do not feature the numeral "2" by itself. The button attributed to the 2nd Continental Regiment does resemble this one save for the material (pewter vs. silver) and the fact that the "2" is not enclosed in a circle. The so-called 1778 Massachusetts Ordnance Buttons of French manufacture more closely resemble this one save for the material (pewter vs. silver) and the double circle which is interrupted by a dot and foliate scrolls. Interestingly, Troiani states, "Originally attributed to the Connecticut Line in the classic work, History Written with Pick And Shovel,...by Reginald Pelham Bolton and William Louis Calver, it is now known that these buttons were bought by the state of Massachusetts." I was not able to locate an identical specimen of this button in any source that I surveyed. That is not surprising given the genre itself and the nebulous or nonexistent primary source data relating to buttons and insignia of the Revolutionary War era. The consensus holds this button was originally thought to be associated with Connecticut, but has now been proven to be associated with Massachusetts troops. The possibility that this is an unrecorded French variant supplied to officers of the Massachusetts Line or a locally manufactured variant for officers (given the quality of material) is highly likely. It may, in fact, be unique. Calver possibly excavated this button in a campsite occupied by Connecticut troops which likely led to its erroneous attribution at that time. His reason for gifting it to Mrs. Cook is unknown; however, her position as President General of the DAR certainly factored into the equation. All told, this ensemble would complement even the most advanced of Revolutionary War button collections or a collection of DAR material. Superlative Americana from Brother Rabbit's hutch!
Payment
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Shipping
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Terms of Sale
Please tender payment within 24 hours of the close of the auction.  Once you have won the item I will consider it yours.  Once payment is received your package will be shipped the next business day.  Please ask any questions or explore any concerns BEFORE the auction ends and within an appropriate timeframe to place a bid if you so choose.  I endeavor to describe items accurately and provide accurate photos.  Condition assessments are subjective; thus, I would invite you to study the photos and ask any questions you may have in order to make your own assessment of condition before bidding.  Thank you.
About Us
I take pride in offering a diverse assemblage of material from estates and old collections in addition to conducting all of my auctions in a NO RESERVE format with a low opening bid.  Thus, everyone has an opportunity to participate and win in an unbiased setting.
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