Confederate Adjutant General button

The Civil War Relicman,
Harry Ridgeway

Winchester, Virginia USA (changed hands 70 times in the Civil War!)
I am a collector buying and selling authentic Civil War Relics

This page updated   August 23, 2008

The Ridgeway Civil War Archive 
Buttons from Kentucky (KY...) 

This is a sampling of relics collected by Harry Ridgeway over the years.  This archive record is for educational purposes only.  Some of the relics listed may be on display at the Old Court House Civil War Museum, Winchester Virginia, some are no longer owned by the author.  None of the items listed in this section are for sale, please refer to the separate sales catalog for items that are currently offered.

All  items listed are believed to be authentic to the Civil War or as otherwise described.   Any excavated relics have been recovered from private property with owners permission.    This information is available for research purposes, pictures may be used by permission only.

B4943     Kentucky state seal, officer staff button (22.8mm) 
B4943.jpg (26357 bytes) B4943B.jpg (27401 bytes)  
Kentucky state seal, two figures shaking hands, "United we stand, divided we fall", intended for officers of Kentucky militia units, which were few in number but generally sympathetic to the southern cause.
Backmark:  "SUPERFIN / (diamond) PARIS (diamond) " dm between rings. This was believed to be a disguised backmark to conceal sales by the northern manufacturers to the south during the conflict. (Superfin01) 
Three part officer or "staff button, coat size.
Stand up shank intact, gilded nondug button.
Ref: Albert KY1 not listed, Tice KY200A2 

B4940     Kentucky state seal, officer staff button (22.8mm) 
B4940.jpg (27509 bytes) B4940B.jpg (30788 bytes) B4940C.jpg (22891 bytes) B4940D.jpg (22576 bytes)  
Kentucky state seal, two figures shaking hands, "United we stand, divided we fall", intended for officers of Kentucky militia units, which were few in number but generally sympathetic to the southern cause.
Backmark: "SCOVILL MF'G CO, / WATERBURY. " dm between one outer ring and two inner rings of dots, ca 1860. (ScovillM17)
Scovill produced this around 1860. This backmark and its use on Kentucky buttons is explained in the NST Vol XXV No 5. pg. 34 Figure 2.
Three part officer or "staff" button, coat size.
Stand up shank intact, gilded nondug button.
Ref: Albert KY1A, Tice KY200A3 

B5035     Kentucky state seal, officer staff button (22.1mm) 
B5035.JPG (33012 bytes) B5035B.JPG (30143 bytes) 
Kentucky state seal, two figures shaking hands, "United we stand, divided we fall", intended for officers of Kentucky militia units, which were few in number but generally sympathetic to the southern cause.
Backmark:  "SUPERIOR / * QUALITY * " rmdc on stippled field, very sloppy stamping, Steele & Johnson ca 1850's (Superior02)
Three part officer or "staff" button, coat size.
Stand up shank and backmark intact, top grade nondug button
Ref: Albert KY1 not listed, Tice KY200E3 

B5038     Kentucky state seal, officer staff button (22.1mm) 
B5038A.JPG (35481 bytes) B5038B.JPG (31424 bytes)  
Kentucky state seal, two figures shaking hands, "United we stand, divided we fall", intended for officers of Kentucky militia units, which were few in number but generally sympathetic to the southern cause.
Backmark:  "SUPERIOR / * QUALITY * " rmdc on stippled field, very sloppy stamping, Steele & Johnson ca 1850's (Superior02)
Three part officer or "staff" button, coat size.
Stand up shank and backmark intact, dug button with some gilding.
Recovered: not known.
Ref: Albert KY1 not listed, Tice KY200E3 

B4697     Kentucky state seal, officer staff button (15mm) 
B4697.jpg (29065 bytes) B4697B.jpg (31556 bytes) 
Kentucky state seal, two figures shaking hands, "United we stand, divided we fall", intended for officers of Kentucky militia units, which were few in number but generally sympathetic to the southern cause.
Backmark: "EXTRA / * QUALITY * "  dm inner solid ring, letters are not evenly spaced, used for small button only, ca 1860 (ExtraQ04As)
Three part officer or "staff" button, hat or sleeve size.
Stand up shank intact, nondug gilded button.
Ref: Albert KY1 not listed,  Tice KY200Uncl2 

B5307     Kentucky state seal, officer staff button (14.4mm) 
 
Kentucky state seal, two figures shaking hands, "United we stand, divided we fall", intended for officers of Kentucky militia units, which were few in number but generally sympathetic to the southern cause.
Backmark:  "HORSTMANN / (dot) NEW YORK (dot) " dm, probably Steele & Johnson manufactured ca1860. (HorstmannWH33As)
Three part officer or "staff" button, hat or sleeve size.
Stand up shank intact, nondug gilded button.
Ref: Albert KY1 not listed,  Tice KY200Es1 

B4331     Kentucky state seal staff button (23mm) 
 
Kentucky state seal, two figures shaking hands, "United we stand, divided we fall", intended for officers of Kentucky militia units, when southern militia units were reconstituted after reconstruction.
Backmark: "WATERBURY BUTTON CO. / * WATERBURY CON * " dm between one outer and two inner rings of dots, ca 1870's. (Waterbury10)
Three part officer or "staff" button, with wide rim, coat size.
Stand up shank intact, nondug gilded button.
Ref: Albert KY1B,          Post war button

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