Ridgeway Civil War Research Center A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War
	Civil War Buttons
	by Harry Ridgeway

Backmark-Scovill000 ### Backmark-Scovill000 Scovill was by far the most dominant of the Civil War era button manufacturers. The firm was formed in approximately 1850, as a combination of the already substantial Scovill partnerships in business preceding that date and continued until the 1970s. They changed backmark styles frequently, and we are able to generally date the buttons by these changes. Scovill also produced many custom contracts for other outfitters, supplying buttons stamped with the outfitters name, or in other cases with blank or generic stock backs. Two brothers J. M. Lamson Scovill and William Henry Scovill operated the business as a partnership from 1827 to 1840. Buttons of this period are generally marked some variation of JML Scovill .. or Scovills. The Scovill family united with outside partners to form Scovills & Co, which operated from around 1840 to 1850 (when Scovill Manufacturing was formed. Backmarks of this period generally bear some form of Scovills Co. The use of Scovill MG. dates to the early 1850s, it then evolved into Scovill MF'G sometime in the mid 1850s. Backmarks with raised mark depressed channel (rmdc) date to the 1850s, and depressed mark (dm,) backmarks after that. Dates are approximate at best, and some late 1860s marks could be transitional. Further, it is evident that Scovill did not coordinate the company name changes entirely with the names used on the backmarks. For example, names like Scovill, Scovills, and Scovill Co, were simply used as abbreviations of the name in substitution for Scovill Manufacturing Company, this to accomodate the limited space available on smaller size buttons. In addition, some smaller orders were apparently filled using backs left over as surplus from earlier runs, or old dies were reused where new dies or custom designs were not needed.Scovill produced for both the North and the South until hostilities began. It appears that they may have completed some button orders for the South for at least a short period of time after the conflict began, although the extent of that has not been determined and is subject to estimate at best. Research Center: Backmark-Scovill000 . Details click: http://relicman.com/buttons/Backmark-Scovill000.html

Backmark-Scovill002-Scovills ### Backmark-Scovill002-Scovills J. M. L. & W. H. Scovill, 1827 to 1840. Research Center: Backmark-Scovill002-Scovills . Details click: http://relicman.com/buttons/Backmark-Scovill002-Scovills.html

Backmark-Scovill003-ScovillsCo ### Backmark-Scovill003-ScovillsCo Scovills & Company, 1840, 1850. Research Center: Backmark-Scovill003-ScovillsCo . Details click: http://relicman.com/buttons/Backmark-Scovill003-ScovillsCo.html

Backmark-Scovill004-ScovillMfg ### Backmark-Scovill004-ScovillMfg Scovill Manufacturing Co., 1850 to 1970's Research Center: Backmark-Scovill004-ScovillMfg . Details click: http://relicman.com/buttons/Backmark-Scovill004-ScovillMfg.html

This is the "Ridgeway Civil War Research Center", a research tool for educational purposes only, and is provided at no cost to the reader. Some of the relics listed are retained in the author's collection, most reside in other collections and are not owned by the author. None of the items listed in this section are for sale, please refer to relicman.com sales listings for items offered for sale. This is a work in progress, I list items as I get to them, there are many patterns that are not listed yet, this list will be regularly updated as I get pictures and descriptions for more items. I will also correct mistakes, so if you see any please tell me. 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.

Most information on this page is from:
Uniform Buttons of the United States 1776 - 1865, by Warren K.Tice.
Dating buttons; A Chronology of Button Types, Makers, Retailers & Their Backmarks, by Warren K. Tice.
Directory of American Military Goods Dealers & Makers, by Bruce S. Bazelon and William F. Guinn.
Record of American Uniform and Historical Buttons, Bicentennial Edition, by Alphaeus H. Albert.
Pictures are generally by the author, unless otherwise indicated.

Ridgeway Civil War Research Center, A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War Buttons Research center, buttons, click: http://relicman.com/buttons/Button0000-Index.html. Research center, buttons, click: http://relicman.com/buttons/Button0000-Index.html.

Ridgeway Civil War Research Center, A virtual examination of artifacts of the American Civil War Button backmarks. Research center, button backmarks, click: http://relicman.com/buttons/Backmark-000.html. Research center, button backmarks, click: http://relicman.com/buttons/Backmark-000.html.

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