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Spectacular Museum-Quality 18th-Century Colonial & Revolutionary War Era Flat Button Collection – Pre-Revolutionary Circa 1750–1780 Gentry & Militia Wardrobe Relics – Incredible 19-Piece Matrix Featuring 7 Unique Hand-Engraved Top-Row Masterpieces & 12 Classic Plain Utilitarian Discs – ALL ORIGINAL REAR WIRE/CAST SHANKS 100% INTACT & INDIVIDUALLY HAND-STITCHED – Mounted inside a Glass-Front Display Shadowbox!
Up for sale is an absolute investment-grade centerpiece for an advanced collector of early American antiquities: an original, beautifully curated 19-piece collection of 18th-century Colonial and Revolutionary War era pewter and tombac flat buttons. Dating from the mid-to-late 1700s (circa 1750–1780), this museum-quality array has been meticulously preserved and mounted inside a professional black display shadowbox. Unlike common ground-dug metal detector scraps that suffer from terminal white zinc-rot and edge crumbling, these high-end specimens exhibit immaculate physical integrity and deep historical texturing, offering an unrivaled visual time capsule of pre-war luxury American fashion.
Advanced Breakdown of the 7 Premium Embossed Top-Row Designs:
While common colonial button piles consist entirely of plain civilian discs, the premium top row of this collection features seven uniquely decorated wardrobe fasteners that were worn exclusively by wealthy colonial merchants, prominent gentry, or militia officers. Each design showcases the masterful hand-tooling and engraving techniques of late-18th-century artisans:
1. The Crested Wheat Stalk / Feather Frond (Far Left): Features an exquisite, asymmetrical feathered frond trailing down the right quadrant, framed on the left by a concentric tracking arc of hand-stamped geometric v-shapes and a double-dotted tracking border.
2. The Six-Petal Folk-Art Floral Bloom (Second from Left): A magnificent floral design defined by a tiny, hand-punched circular honeycomb cluster at the center. The surrounding background fields are completely textured with dense, hand-hammered stippling to make the petals pop in high relief.
3. The Radiant Sunburst / Starburst (Third from Left): A flawless, timeless design featuring fine, hand-incised lines radiating perfectly outward from a single sharp center point across the entire button face.
4. The Cross-Hatch Checkered Matrix (Fourth from Left): An intricate, highly unique pattern consisting of alternating square blocks filled with tiny horizontal and vertical hand-chiseled hatch lines, creating an eye-catching geometric texture.
5. The Chiseled Laurel Leaf Wreath (Fifth from Left): A beautiful classical victory motif featuring delicate leaves hand-cut outward from a central, hand-punched circular track with tiny, sharp decorative teeth and paired accent dots along the border.
6. The Geometric Four-Point Cross Star (Sixth from Left): A brilliant star configuration hand-incised using fine tracking lines and radiating rows of hand-stamped micro-dots that terminate cleanly at each diamond corner.
7. The Large Target-Ring Raised Center Boss (Far Right Overcoat): A massive, heavy outerwear button featuring a prominent central raised dome wrapped in a radiating sunburst ring and an outer flat rim stamped with circular target patterns.
The middle and bottom rows are comprised of 12 smooth, beautifully patinated civilian flat discs of varying sizes, creating the perfect structural layout to complete this comprehensive historical design matrix.
100% Intact Original Rear Shanks & Presentation Mounting:
The absolute ultimate value driver for this collection is the pristine structural condition of the reverse sides. Every single one of the 19 buttons features its original, unbroken cast wire loop shank. Because missing shanks normally destroy the collector value of 18th-century pewter, having 100% loop preservation sets this lot into the highest tier of market desirability. Furthermore, the buttons are professionally displayed, with each piece individually hand-stitched through its original shank directly onto the plush black cloth backboard of the shadowbox, keeping them permanently secure without using damaging modern glues or synthetic adhesives.
Condition Notes:
The entire collection is in spectacular, investment-grade condition. The metal faces display a gorgeous, authentic uncleaned matte grey patina, minimal stable superficial oxidation, and light natural age-toning with zero terminal face crumbling or crumbling rot. The wooden display shadowbox frame and its protective glass panel are pristine, clean, and entirely ready to hang in a historical library, office, or premium americana showcase. Stored carefully in a smoke-free, climate-controlled facility. Please view the high-resolution photos for close-up details.
Shipping & Handling:
To ensure this delicate 19-piece museum display and its glass panel arrive at your door safely, it will be packed with elite professional care. The glass face will be taped and shielded in rigid foam panels to eliminate any chance of pressure cracking, and the entire shadowbox will be wrapped inside multiple thick layers of industrial bubble wrap cushioning. The lot will be nestled securely within a brand-new corrugated shipping box tightly packed with clean void-fill paper to fully absorb external drops. Sent with full automated tracking, signature delivery confirmation, and transit insurance.
