BUTTON

An Early Post-Medieval (1650-1800) cast one-piece copper alloy discoidal button with integral drilled shank, broken across the drilled hole. It measures 25.89mm in diameter, stands 7.57mm high and weighs 5.94g.
The button is circular and hollow, of a convex domed form, with an integral D-shaped loop emerging centrally on its lower surface. The upper surface of the button is decorated with a punched-annulet foliate design within a border of punched annulets flanking the edge of the button. The foliate decoration comprises a quatrefoil with an inverted V-shaped between each petal and a cross of annulets at the centre. In each quarter of the cross are three tiny circular punches with a line of three punched crescents beyond.
Read (2005, p.36) writes that buttons such as this may have been paired and used as cloak fasteners (cf. Read 2005 p.39 no.132). These would have been linked with a copper alloy or iron wire linkage, and may explain the break on the loop. He suggests a mid-17th century date for this style of button, due to numerous examples from datable contexts along the Thames Foreshore and archaeological spoil heaps in London. He further suggests the date may extend somewhat later.