Civil War Original Period Items

Hard Rubber Eagle I Berdan's Sharpshooters Civil War Officer's Button 15 mm

Hard Rubber Eagle I Berdan's Sharpshooters Civil War Officer's Button 15 mm
Hard Rubber Eagle I Berdan's Sharpshooters Civil War Officer's Button 15 mm
Hard Rubber Eagle I Berdan's Sharpshooters Civil War Officer's Button 15 mm
Hard Rubber Eagle I Berdan's Sharpshooters Civil War Officer's Button 15 mm
Hard Rubber Eagle I Berdan's Sharpshooters Civil War Officer's Button 15 mm
Hard Rubber Eagle I Berdan's Sharpshooters Civil War Officer's Button 15 mm

Hard Rubber Eagle I Berdan's Sharpshooters Civil War Officer's Button 15 mm
For sale is one cuff size (15 mm) non-dug Civil War Berdan's Sharpshooters Officer's "Eagle I" button. A high-convex, one-piece molded hard rubber button with an embedded wire shank, this button would have been worn by US Army infantry officers in one of Hiram Berdan's two regiments of marksmen between 1861 and 1865. Hard rubber was used for its'low-visibility' properties, making these the first US buttons to employ camouflage in response to the greater accuracy provided by period rifles. With the raised mark backmark N. Co / GOODYEAR'S P=T. This button is specifically listed by Tice as SS216As1 and Albert as GI86Av1. McGuinn and Bazelon write that the Novelty (India) Rubber Co was in business in New York City between 1855 and 1864 and that they made buttons from a new patent (Goodyear's, circa 1849 and 1851) for hardening India rubber. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, founded in 1898, was named after Charles Goodyear and his family of inventors.

This example is in excellent'issued' condition with some light wear; the white specks are dust on the scanner. As you can see from the side images, there is a tiny flaw on one side of the collar surrounding the base of the shank, but the shank is straight and solidly attached.

The backmark is easily legible and the button has an attractive dark brown aged hard rubber patina, particularly on the front where it likely saw sun from wartime service. These officers' buttons are exceptionally hard to find; this is only the second specimen we've seen in over 25 years of collecting. The item "Hard Rubber Eagle I Berdan's Sharpshooters Civil War Officer's Button 15 mm" is in sale since Saturday, April 6, 2019.

This item is in the category "Collectibles\Militaria\Civil War (1861-65)\Original Period Items\Buttons". The seller is "rmdc" and is located in Wethersfield, Connecticut. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Chile, Colombia, Costa rica, Panama, Trinidad and tobago, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Antigua and barbuda, Aruba, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Saint kitts and nevis, Saint lucia, Montserrat, Turks and caicos islands, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei darussalam, Bolivia, Egypt, French guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Cayman islands, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macao, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Uruguay.

  • Modified Item: No
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: United States


Hard Rubber Eagle I Berdan's Sharpshooters Civil War Officer's Button 15 mm