At Market Lavington Museum we work with a local metal detecting person. Metal detecting can get a bad press but by working with ‘our’ man we get the benefit of knowing what has been found and, importantly, just where it was found. We can photograph all of the finds and some can end up on display in the museum.
These are thought to be lead musket balls, all found within the parish boundaries. Apparently this represents a fairly normal level of find and does not suggest that the Market Lavington folk were warlike in any way.
Lead Musket Balls found in the parish
Many of the finds are interesting, pretty even, but of no cash value. Here we have a decorative button. Nothing is known about it. Perhaps you could help.
Can you help identify this metal button?
Somebody has helped with this spoon handle so we know it is made of lead alloy and dates from between 1650 and 1750.
Lead alloy sppon handle from 1650 - 1750
There will be a photographic display of many more metal detector finds in the museum during the 2010 season.
Tags: Metal Detector, Museum, musket ball
Market Lavington Museum 
August 4, 2010 at 7:19 am |
Hello
I live in central England Near Kenilworth in Warwickshire… and I have found a button (with my metal detector) in my back garden, very similar to the one your asking for help in identifying on your website… its quite large, almost one and half inches across with very similar design to yours, but with the side view of a mans face in between the central pattern and he frilly edge… its non ferrous, so I presume its made of bronze.
I also would be interested in the identity of the button
Kind Regards
John Chown
August 5, 2010 at 10:01 pm |
I went metal detecting off the beaten tracks in the woods of kimpton in Hertfordshire about 7 years back and I found a decorative button almost identical to the one on your page 1ft below the ground!, do you have anymore info on this, ive always wanted to know more about it
Oli
August 19, 2015 at 6:14 pm |
Ref John chown A good book on buttons is METAL BUTTONS
by Brian read by portcullis print covers from 900BC to 1700s
Buttons are important to a detectorist they will tell you the activity in that field and over what periods in time and what type of coinage is
Likely to pop out in relation to the age of the button the more buttons the better the field