The Civil War Relicman,
Harry Ridgeway.

Winchester, Virginia USA (changed hands 70 times in the Civil War!).

relicman.com.

Ridgeway Reference Archive, Civil War buttons.
Buttons from Rhode Island.

This is the "Ridgeway Reference Archive", 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.

Rhode Island state seal, anchor and "Hope", in order by backmark.

Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, D Evans & Co Attleboro Mass, dm with three stars and no rings, (23mm)
Button depicts state seal of Rhode Island, anchor and "Hope", intended for Rhode Island units.  Backmark:  "D. EVANS & CO / (star) ATTLEBORO (star) MASS (star)" dm ca 1850's to 1865, (Evans06).  Two part convex button, coat size.
Ref: Albert RI8, Tice RI203C1.

B5718     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, D Evans & Co Attleboro Mass, dm with three stars and no rings, (22.9mm)
Dug button, recovered: central Virginia not confirmed.
B5742     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, D Evans & Co Attleboro Mass, dm with three stars and no rings, (23mm)
Dug button, recovered: not known.

Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, D Evans & Co Extra, (15.1mm)
Button depicts state seal of Rhode Island, anchor and "Hope", intended for Rhode Island units.  Backmark:  "D. EVANS & CO / (star) EXTRA (star)" dm inner solid ring, only used small size, ca 1860's, (Evans20small).  Two part convex button, hat or sleeve size.
Ref: Albert RI8, Tice RI203Cs2.

B5710     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, D Evans & Co Extra, (15.1mm)
Dug button, recovered: central Virginia not confirmed.

Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, D Evans & Co Attleboro Mass, dm between solid rings, (22mm)
Button depicts state seal of Rhode Island, anchor and "Hope", intended for officers of Rhode Island units.  Backmark: "D. EVANS & CO. / ATTLEBORO MASS" dm between two solid rings, ca 1850's 1860's, (Evans10).  Three part officer staff button, coat size.
Ref: Albert RI7, Tice RI201A1.

B4782      Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, D Evans & Co Attleboro Mass, dm between solid rings, (22mm)
 

Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, D Evans & Co Attleboro Mass, dm ring of dots, (22mm)
Button depicts state seal of Rhode Island, anchor and "Hope", intended for officers of Rhode Island units.  Backmark:  "D. EVANS & CO. / ATTLEBORO MASS" dm inner ring of dots, transitional use ca 1860 to post war, (Evans02).  Three part officer staff button, coat size.
Ref: Albert RI7, Tice RI201A1, not listed.

B6093     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, D Evans & Co Attleboro Mass, dm ring of dots, (22.7mm)
B5880     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, D Evans & Co Attleboro Mass, dm ring of dots, (22.8mm)

Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, D Evans & Co Attleboro Mass, dm ring of dots stars dividing, (22mm)
Button depicts state seal of Rhode Island, anchor and "Hope", intended for officers of Rhode Island units.  Backmark:  "D. EVANS & CO. / (star) ATTLEBORO MASS (star)" dm inner ring of slashes, transitional use ca 1860 to post war, (Evans04).  Three part officer staff button, coat size.
Ref: Albert RI7, Tice RI201A1.

B5959     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, D Evans & Co Attleboro Mass, dm ring of dots stars dividing, (22mm)

Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, Fine Quality, (14.6mm)
Button depicts state seal of Rhode Island, anchor and "Hope", intended for officers of Rhode Island units.  Backmark:  "FINE  / (star) (star) QUALITY (star) (star)" dm, small size only, likely D Evans, ca 1860, (Fine02Small).  Three part officer button, hat or sleeve size.
Ref: Albert RI7, Tice RI201As3.

B5569     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, officer staff, Fine Quality, (14.6mm)

Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, R & W Robinson Maker, (22mm)
Button depicts state seal of Rhode Island, anchor and "Hope", intended for officers of Rhode Island units.   Backmark:  "R & W. ROBINSON / (dot) (star) (dot) (star) (dot) MAKERS (dot) (star) (dot) (star) (dot) / ATTLEBOROUGH / (star) MASS. (star)" dm, solid ring separating inner and outer inscription, ca 1840's, (RobinsonRW16).  Three part officer staff button, coat size.
Ref: Albert RI7, Tice RI201A2.

B4676     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, R & W Robinson Maker, (22mm)
 
B5863     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, R & W Robinson Maker, (22mm)
B5911     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, R & W Robinson Maker, (22mm)

Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, Scovill Mfg Co Waterbury dm between rings, (23.5mm)
Button depicts state seal of Rhode Island, anchor and "Hope", intended for Rhode Island units.  Backmark:  "SCOVILL. MFG. CO. / WATERBURY. " dm between rings of dots, ca 1860's, (ScovillM320).   Two part convex button, coat size.
Ref: Albert RI8, Tice RI203A2.

B4990     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, Scovill Mfg Co Waterbury dm between rings, (23.5mm)
B4990.jpg (35588 bytes)
B5705     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, Scovill Mfg Co Waterbury dm between rings, (23.3mm)
Dug button, recovered: central Virginia not confirmed.
B5712     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, Scovill Mfg Co Waterbury dm between rings, (23.3mm)
Dug button, recovered: central Virginia not confirmed.
B6501     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, Scovill Mfg Co Waterbury dm between rings, (23.5mm)

Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, Scovill Mfg Co dm, (14.4mm)
Button depicts state seal of Rhode Island, anchor and "Hope", intended for Rhode Island units.  Backmark:  "SCOVILL. / MFG. CO." dm no rings, used in small size only, ca 1860, (ScovillM420Small).   Two part convex button, hat or sleeve size.
Ref: Albert RI8, Tice RI203As2.

B5571     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, Scovill Mfg Co dm, (14.4mm)

Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, Scovills & CO. Extra, (14.6mm)
Button depicts state seal of Rhode Island, anchor and "Hope", intended for Rhode Island units.  Backmark:  "SCOVILLS & Co (dot under the o). / (dot) EXTRA (dot) " dm between two rings, used only for small size, the abbreviated name, Scovills & Co, from the 1840's was used with Scovill Mfg coat buttons of the 1850's and 1860's, as a way to abbreviate the mark on the limited space of a small size button, (ScovillC15Small).  Two part convex button, hat or sleeve size.
Ref: Albert RI8, Tice RI203As1.
B6042     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, Scovills & CO. Extra, (14.6mm)

Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, Scovill Mfg Co Waterbury dm single inner ring, (23mm)
Button depicts state seal of Rhode Island, anchor and "Hope", intended for Rhode Island units.  Backmark:  "SCOVILL MF'G CO. / (star) WATERBURY. (star) " dm small letters inner ring of dots ca 1860's, (ScovillM380).  Two part convex button, coat size.
Ref: Albert RI8, Tice RI203, not listed.

B4720     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, Scovill Mfg Co Waterbury dm single inner ring, (23mm)
B5570     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, Scovill Mfg Co Waterbury dm single inner ring, (23mm)

Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, Scovill Mfg Co, (22mm)
Button depicts state seal of Rhode Island, anchor and "Hope", intended for officers of Rhode Island units.   Backmark:  "SCOVILL MF'G Co. (o is underlined) / (star) WATERBURY (star)" dm large letters inner ring of dots, manufactured after the Civil War, (ScovillM501).  Three part officer staff button, coat size.
Ref: Albert RI7.   Manufactured after the Civil War.

B6113     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, Scovill Mfg Co, Waterbury, dm, (22mm)
Manufactured after the Civil War.

Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, Treble Gilt, (22.7mm)
Button depicts state seal of Rhode Island, anchor and "Hope", intended for officers of Rhode Island units.  Backmark: " TREBLE / (vine) GILT (vine) " dm, ca 1860, likely the product of D Evans, (Treble30).  Three part officer staff button, coat size.
Ref: Albert RI7, Tice RI201A4.

B4872     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, Treble Gilt, (22.7mm)
 

Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, Treble Gilt, (22.7mm)
Button depicts state seal of Rhode Island, anchor and "Hope", intended for officers of Rhode Island units.  Backmark: " TREBLE / (star) (star) (star) GILT (star) (star) (star) " dm, ca 1850's or 1850's, likely the product of R & W Robinson or D Evans, (Treble32). Three part officer staff button, coat size.
Ref: Albert RI7, Tice RI201A3.

B6094     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and "Hope", officer staff, Treble Gilt, (22mm)

Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, Treble Gilt, dm, (15.2mm)
Button depicts state seal of Rhode Island, anchor and "Hope", intended for Rhode Island units.  Backmark: "TREBLE / (star) GILT (star)  dm, inner ring of dots, ca 1860, small size only, likely the product of R & W Robinson or D Evans, (Treble31small).  Two part convex button, hat or sleeve size.
Ref: Albert RI8, Tice RI203Cs5.

B5701     Rhode Island button, state seal anchor and Hope, Treble Gilt, dm, (15.2mm)
Dug button, recovered: central Virginia not confirmed.

Rhode Island regiment, Bristol Train of Artillery.

Rhode Island button, Bristol Train of Artillery, D Evans Attleboro dm between rings, (22.8mm)
Button depicts "BTA", an eagle over a cannon, and "1794",  Bristol Train of Artillery, Bristol, Rhode Island, was organized in 1794 and served during the Civil War as 5th Brigade Rhode Island Militia.  Backmark:  "D. EVANS & CO. / ATTLEBORO MASS" dm between two solid rings, ca 1850's 1860's, (Evans10).   Two part convex button, coat size.
Ref: Albert RI5, Tice RI206A3.

B6098     Rhode Island button, Bristol Train of Artillery, D Evans Attleboro dm between rings, (22.8mm)

Rhode Island regiment, Kentish Guards.

Rhode Island button, Kentish Guards, Simmons, (22.7mm)
Button depicts "KG", thirteen stars, and "1774",  Kentish Guards, East Greenwhich, Rhode Island, was very active in the American Revolution and served during the Civil War as Company H 2nd Rhode Island Infantry.  Backmark:  "G. W. SIMMONS & CO. / (dot) BOSTON (dot)" dm outer ring, manufactured after the Civil War, (Simmons01).  Two part convex button, coat size.
Ref: Albert R22, Tice RI221, not listed.   Manufactured after the Civil War.

B6125     Rhode Island button, Kentish Guards, Simmons, (22.7mm)
 Button depicts "KG", thirteen stars, and "1774",  Kentish Guards, East Greenwhich, Rhode Island, was very active in the American Revolution and served during the Civil War as Company H 2nd Rhode Island Infantry.  Backmark:  "G. W. SIMMONS & CO. / (dot) BOSTON (dot)" dm outer ring, manufactured after the Civil War, (Simmons01).  Two part convex button, coat size. Nondug button, gilded, stand up shank.
Ref: Albert R22, Tice RI221, not listed.   Manufactured after the Civil War.

Rhode Island regiment, United Train of Artillery.

Rhode Island button, United Train of Artillery, D Evans Attleboro dm, (22.5mm)
Button depicts "UTA", a snake over crossed cannons, and "1775", intended for  United Train of Artillery, Rhode Island.  Backmark: "D. EVANS & CO. / ATTLEBORO MASS." dm inner ring of dots, transitional use ca 1860 to post war, (Evans02Var).   Two part convex button, coat size.
Ref: Albert RI33, Tice, not listed.

B6123     Rhode Island button, United Train of Artillery, D Evans Attleboro dm, (22.5mm)
 Button depicts "UTA", a snake over crossed cannons, and "1775", intended for  United Train of Artillery, Rhode Island.  Backmark: "D. EVANS & CO. / ATTLEBORO MASS." dm inner ring of dots, transitional use ca 1860 to post war, (Evans02Var).   Two part convex button, coat size.  Nondug button, gilded, stand up shank.
Ref: Albert RI33, Tice, not listed.