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Old WW1 Button

26 Sep 2013

After a morning out unsuccessful detecting with a friend, we parted ways and I went out alone. One place I thought I would try was a site of an old Lutheran Church which had been demolished and there was nothing left on the site, except a cemetery.

I arrived and grabbed my X-TERRA 305 and started to search. Only after a few minutes the detector went off. I got down on my knees and started digging, luckily the soil was quite sandy so it was pretty easy going. I only dug approx 15-20cm down and I pulled up this little button. The inscription on the button is "OUR OWN MAKE". I am still in the process of finding out the history of the button, but so far what we have found out is it would appear to be British in origin, and is of a type used on military uniform in the UK and here in Australia in the 1880s to 1900s, or thereabouts – examples that look like your button have been found by metal detectorists in the UK, and ‘mudlarkers’ in the Thames estuary, as well as (anecdotally) in Tasmania. The Trial Bay Gaol in NSW has got some that they have excellent provenance for, and that they are dating to the Germans interned there in WWI, which is potentially exciting. This is still yet to be confirmed.

I hope to go back there someday and do a little more searching. I may end up donating this button to the migration Museum if they want it.

Andrew - South Australia, Australia

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