Superbly hand-engraved brass coat button complete w/ reverse shank. One of five discovered in 2008 in the mid-Hudson River Valley of New York. The name “Whitcomb” was mentioned at the local auction as the name of the engraver. The brass luster is free of corrosion, pitting and wear. The brass luster is highly reflective and with rainbow patina in certain light angles. The engraving features a heraldic eagle, without inscription, similar to those in Dewey Albert’s book listed as WI-12 thru WI-14, but those are much less detailed designs. The size is 1-5/16″. The eagle holds a branch with leaves in one talon and three arrows in the opposite talon. The body has all over stippling and the chest is a shield outlined by pin-point indent accents. The eagle’s head is surrounded by 13 indent dots to represent a star for each colony, and the indents are accented above by engraved lines forming a ‘glory’ or sunburst. The extreme outer edge is a circle of tiny accent notches. The eagle’s eye is a tiny but deep dot so it grabs the viewer’s attention. Unlisted and the last of three that were acquired by Hake’s in 2008. The other four found with this have been locked in collections for years. A unique hand-engraved rarity in NM condition.
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