Confederate original cuff-size 2-piece block A artillery button. I recovered this one in 1977 on private property in the vicinity of Drewry\'s Bluff, which is a location along the James River downstream from Richmond. The Confederates had strong artillery emplacements, supported by infantry, there throughout the war to stop Union vessels from moving upriver toward Richmond. Intense artillery barrages and fighting took place there in 1862, then again starting in mid-1864. Artillery fire between the Confederate guns and Union gunboats was a common occurrence from 1862 until the closing days of the war. Artillery buttons are MUCH scarcer than the infantry ones. In my personal experience I\'ve recovered fewer of these little cuff buttons than i have the larger coat-size ones. The button itself has no dents or pushes. It shows wear, scratches and some surface pitting from the soil. Shank is intact. The shank on this example, like many cuff buttons, is longer than on a usual coat button because a number of uniform coats and jackets of the period had cuffs that actually buttoned, requiring a longer shank on a small button. Some of the lead solder is still evident at the base of the shank. Nice original patina from the soil.The small protective display/ storage holder is included. I will ship this free. I do my best to ship the next business day after receiving payment, but in some instances I might get delayed a day or two. Tracking information will always be posted.I\'m retired from the US Army with over 30 years of honorable active service, and rated as a Permanently & Totally Disabled Veteran due to wounds and injuries during my career. I also hold a Ph.D. in Military History with post-doctoral study in Military/ Battlefield Archaeology. Following my military career I taught these subjects at the university level as well as engaged in a great deal of archaeological field work until my military disabilities forced me to retire again. I also began metal detecting as a boy way back in 1961- 57 years ago. About 2 years ago I began selling some of my extensive private collection to clear some of it out and supplement my retirement income. buyers/ buyer must be aware that this is an excavated historical artifact that is over 150 years old. It is delicate and should not be handled, carried around, or played with. It has already been as cleaned, washed, brushed, etc as it should be, according to professional / academic archaeological preservation standards. No additional \" cleaning \" of any type should be undertaken. Further, any alteration to the condition of the item, no matter how slight -- under Federal law and the policies of both and Paypal - - voids all return / refund options. I refuse to do business with anyone who is a retail, show, or online seller/dealer in Civil War artifacts. I\'ve refused to have any dealings with any of those people for over 40 years ( except involvement in their criminal prosecutions or civil cases against them as an Expert Witness) so I refuse to do so on here. Further, I will not provide any additional information as to recovery locations or anything else other than what\'s stated here in the listing. I have a No - Return policy due to disreputable people who pulled various scams or who altered items. However, if a buyer has a VALID reason I will work with you in some cases.
