When Diversity Unites for Liberty, Justice, and Political Freedom
                                                           - The Isabela Collection -



GWI 2-A & B  A Patriotic Eagle W/ E. Pluribus Unum Motto in the Ribbon: The only few surviving specimens of this button are found in brass and copper. Some specimens show they were also made with either a Gilt or Silver-Wash finish. As with all GW Inaugurals and New Nation tribute buttons the design was engraved in a round steel die hub and then stamped on a blank metal planchet. The Size for GWI 2-A & B is 35mm, and both variations have a R-6 rarity rating. All specimens are flat one-piece buttons with soldered on loop shanks. Both die variants depict a version of the Great Seal of the United States which was adopted by Congress as the National Coat of Arms. This button was most likely sold as a New Nation Tribute Button, and was sold along side of George Washington Inaugural Buttons. The button's pattern depicts a large Heraldic Spread Eagle with a Federal Shield over it's chest. The Eagle is proudly splaying it's wings toward the outside perimeter of the button to symbolize our county's Strength and Readiness against any foreign or domestic aggressors. The Federal Shield shows thirteen horizontal stripes that go across the top portion of the shield. The lower portion of the shield has seven vertical stripes with incuse dots set within. These doted stripes are separated by another sequence of six triple-lines. Depicted in die variant A, we see the eagle's right talon is clutching a short Olive Branch with Petals. In die variant B, there is a slight difference depicting  Two Longer Intertwining Olive Branches. This indicates that more then one steel die hub was engraved. Most likely a later variation, or the engraving took place in another state with different apprentices. As with other country celebration buttons, the Olive Branch was added to the design to symbolize our country's sentiment toward peace. Like George Washington Inaugural buttons, the Eagle's head is symbolically turned towards the Olive Branch indicating the sentiment for peace. In both die variants, the eagle's left talon is clutching a Bundle of Thirteen Arrows. This represents the thirteen known states that are unified for war against any foreign aggressive power. Flowing behind the eagle's head is a Banner Ribbon which is set-in a field of Thirteen Five Pointed Stars. Inscribed in the banner is the motto inscribed in raised Roman Block Capital letters: E Pluribus Unum. This is Latin for, "Out of Many, One". For die variant A, the pattern is set on a flat plain field with no ornate edge border. In die variant B, the pattern is set on a lined filed with no ornate edge border.


                              ~ Celebrating America as A New Nation ~

          I believe that researchers and button collectors in the past have mistakenly attributed National Tribute buttons as a George Washington Inaugural Buttons that pays tribute to George Washington as being our 1st President. I believe this to be incorrect by my predecessors. It is my theory that GWI 2 was attributed to our New Nation celebrating the unification of the states under a new federal government. The button not only celebrates the country's 1st birthday, but as a new nation that will start to operate under a state ratified Constitution instead of separate states operating under the post-Revolutionary War  articles confederation. This will also be the 1st time the Senate convened as a unified body under a newly created federal government. There is nothing tributary toward President Washington, and the intent of the button's depiction by using a form of the Great Seal of the United States should justify my conclusion alone. If one becomes a student of history such as myself, he will easily be able to identify other manufactured patriotic products of this time frame that use a form the Great Seal of the United States as a celebratory sales item that honor our country.  I believe National Tribute buttons were sold along side of George Washington Inaugural Buttons, or sold within the same time frame. I do value National Tribute buttons just as high as GWI buttons, and attribute their rarity to a much higher degree because of their scarcity.-Robert J. Silverstein

       Having owned three and handled 4 of the 6 specimens pictured below, I was able to give the buttons a close detailed examination. I determined that there was two die variant used in manufacturing this pattern. In Albert's time, he probably wasn't afforded the luxury of handling another variation .-Robert J. Silverstein


 

GWI 2-B PATRIOTIC EAGLE WITH E. PLURIBUS UNUM MOTTO IN RIBBON:

Color: A Charcoal Dark Brown with A Gilt Finish within the design.
Metal: Flat, 1-Piece, Impressed Design with Raised Lettering in the Ribbon, Brass with Gold Wash in the Design.
Size: 35mm.
Rarity: R-6
Variety Type: Lined Field / 2 Long Intertwined Olive Branches.
Present Condition: An Excavated Example, Strong Planchet, Strong Impressions.
Obverse Button Analysis: A nice rare button which was professionally restored the right way. The brass planchet does have some metal fatigue and corrosion, but it has been treated to stop any further deterioration. The surface is a bit course to the touch, and does show some porous areas, but there are no scratches or abrasions. The Eagle shows a nice deep strike, and gives a good clear image of all the inner details of the head and body. The Federal Shield is also nicely stamped, and shows a good image of all the individual stripes, triple lines, and incuse dots. The two intertwining Olive Branches and accenting Petals are clearly shown (the only example on record to clearly show two). The Bundle of Thirteen Arrows has a nice deep impression, and clearly shows the individual shafts. Unfortunately, the restoration could not give the Arrow tips, and nock feathers their original detailed shapes. The Banner is nicely inset, and shows all the raised Roman Block capital letters with perfect clarity. The thirteen incuse Five Pointed Stars in the open field all have a deep impression, with good strong outlines. All the stamped lines in the Star's field show a good depth, with individual clarity (This is the only known example to still show the lined background). This is truly a wonderful find, and a Star in anyone's GW Collection. Even though excavated, I would say this a museum quality piece, and the best known example.
Reverse Button Analysis: This is flat a one-piece button with a soldered on loop shank. The shank is original, straight and intact. The surface is nice flat and shows no scratches.

Library Records Has Limited Information on WI 2 B-1:
History: Yes                      Recorded Sales Price:       Yes
Current Button Owner and Location:  ~ South Carolina ~

1 of 2 Buttons Dug by A.H. in the Low Country of South Carolina in the Winter of 2009.~

GWI 2-A PATRIOTIC EAGLE WITH E. PLURIBUS UNUM MOTTO IN RIBBON:

Color: A Dark Rich Chocolate with An Orange Clay Spot.
Metal: Flat, 1-Piece, Impressed Design with Raised Lettering in the Ribbon, Copper
Size: 35mm.
Rarity: R-6
Variety Type: Plain Field / Short Thick Olive Branch.
Present Condition: An Excavated Example, Good Planchet (Noted thin), Good Impressions.
Obverse Button Analysis: This actually is a good example of this rare inaugural variety. The even milk chocolate color across the surface with the natural clay orange makes it a real crowd pleaser. There appears to be a slight metal loss from the original casting weight, but this could also be the result of being buried for a long period of time. The Copper Planchet does exhibit some waviness in the lower half of the button, which is usually the result of metal fatigue, or inadequate casting. The surface does exhibit some micro porosity, which is most likely the result of being buried in or near ground water. There are no scratches or abrasions on the surface, but unfortunately there is an excavation strike from a shovel. There is a long shovel strike reaching downward from the 2:00 o'clock position towards the 7:00 o'clock position. There is also a very small indentation a few millimeters in from the 8:00 o'clock edge position. There is also a minor rim & edge nick at both the 10:00 and 11:00 o'clock positions, which is another misfortune from a poor excavation. On a positive note, the Eagle still has a nice impression, and shows a good image of the head, beak, and talons. The wings have a nice outline, with some lasting remnants of the inner feather details. The Federal Shield shows a strong image, but the inner details of the horizontal stripes on the top are worn smooth into the surface. The incuse dots inside the vertical stripes, and the triple lines in the lower half of the shield are still strong with a good presentation. The intertwining Olive Branches show a strong strike to the lower stem, but the upper division of the two stems and most of the accenting petals are worn smooth into the surface. The Bundle of Thirteen Arrows still has a nice deep impression, and shows clear definition to all the Arrow shafts, tips, and nock feathers. The Banner unfortunately only shows a light foot print, and the raised Roman Block capital letters are decayed into the surface. Most letters are still recognizable if examined closely. Most of the thirteen Five Pointed Stars in the open field still show a nice strong deep strike, and have good clear outline. This button is still in good condition, and probably the Best known Copper example to date.
Reverse Button Analysis: This is flat a one-piece button with a soldered on loop shank. The shank is missing. The surface shows some irregularities because of metal fatigue. There is shallow surface depressions along with minor corrosion and micro porosity.

Library Records Has Limited Information on WI 2 A-1:
History: Yes               Recorded Sales Price:    Yes
Current Button Owner and Location:       ~ New York ~

The Isabela Collection.~

GWI 2-B PATRIOTIC EAGLE WITH E. PLURIBUS UNUM MOTTO IN RIBBON:

Color: A Nice Dusty Brown and Black with Gilt Highlights.
Metal: Flat, 1-Piece, Impressed Design with Raised Lettering in the Ribbon, Gilded Brass.
Size: 35.63mm.
Rarity: R-6
Variety Type: Lined Field / 2 Long Intertwined Olive Branches.
Present Condition: An Excavated Example, Good Planchet, Good Impressions.
Obverse Button Analysis: This buttons overall condition is surprisingly good for being buried 200+ years. The Brass Planchet appears to be solid and flat, but shows a corrosion and a little metal loss on the reverse. This is one of those rare "Diamond in the rough" examples that needs a professional restoration to get at the underlying gilt and show the design features better. The surface is smooth to the touch, and still shows a good amount of Gilt in the showing designs. There are no scratches or signs of pitting, but there is some signs of micro porosity. The Eagle only shows a light foot print for an outline, but the inner detail of the head, body and feathers still show a lot of it's features in Gilt. The Federal Shield still shows a strong gilded outline, but the thirteen horizontal Stripes on the top are almost completely worn into the surface. The seven vertical stripes with incuse dots and triple lines still hold a nice deep impression with a good amount of Gilt showing. The two intertwining Olive Branches and accenting Petals still show a deep strike, with a clear outline of all the individual petals. The bundle of Thirteen Arrows in the Eagles left Talon has a nice strong impression, and clearly shows all the individual shafts, tips, and nock feathers. The Banner still shows a light gilded impression, but the Roman Block capital letters are either decayed, or worn smooth into the surface. They no longer show strong letter lines, but they are still recognizable if examined closely. Most of the thirteen Five Pointed Stars show a good impression, but they demonstrate inner well corrosion which unfortunately decayed the lines for a clear Star shape. I think with a professional restoration this button has the potential to show a majority of it's original design features with Gilt.
Reverse Button Analysis: This is flat a one-piece button with a soldered on loop shank. The Shank appears to be original, straight, and intact. The surface is course and does show some porous areas with some metal loss.

Library Records Has Limited Information on 2 B-2
History: Yes               Recorded Sales Price:       Yes
Current Button Owner and Location:    ~ New York ~

2 of 2 Dug in the Low Country of South Carolina By A.H. in the Winter of 2009.~

Currently The Gray Collection.
Previously the Isabela Collection.~

GWI 2-A PATRIOTIC EAGLE WITH E. PLURIBUS UNUM MOTTO IN RIBBON:

Color: A Dark Chocolate with Golden Brown Highlights.
Metal: Flat, 1-Piece, Impressed Design with Raised Lettering in the Ribbon, Copper.
Size: 35mm.
Rarity: R-6
Variety Type: Plain Field / Short Thick Laurel Stem.
Present Condition: An Excavated Example, Fair Planchet Casting, Fair Impressions.
Obverse Button Analysis: This button has nice reflective surfaces, and still retains a good image. The softer copper planchet shows metal fatigue with multiple shallow depressions. The surface is uncommonly smooth to the touch, probably from being cleaned after it was excavated. The surface has numerous indents, pits with porous areas. On a positive note, there are no scratches or abrasions marring the surface, or detracting from the design. The Eagle is mostly worn flat into the surface, but still shows a faint image of the head, body, and feathers. The Eagle does shows some sporadic inner details, but most of it is muted flat. There does show some feather details for the left and right wings, the eye, and the right talon. The Federal Shield is the buttons strongest feature. It still has a clear recognizable outline. The thirteen horizontal lines on the top of the Federal Shield are almost worn smooth into the surface. The seven vertical stripes with it's incuse dots still show a good clear image, and is the shields identifying strength. The triple lines in-between the stripes are unfortunately worn smooth into the surface. The intertwining Olive Branch and accenting Petals only show a vague image of the lower stem. The bundle of thirteen Arrows still shows a nice strike of the individual shafts, but lacks any clear definition for the tips, and nock feathers. The Banner still has a light foot print for an impression, but the Roman Block letters have completely decayed into the surface. Only five of the thirteen Five Pointed Stars above the Eagle's head have an image, and most of those lack a good star outline.
Reverse Button Analysis: This is flat a one-piece button with a soldered on loop shank. The Shank is missing, and may have been smoothed out for a coin collection. There is pitting and shallow depressions in the surface from metal fatigue.

Library Records Has Limited Information on WI 2 A-2
History: Yes               Recorded Sales Price:     Yes
Current Button Owner and Location:       ~ Oklahoma ~

Excavated in Jonesboro, Georgia in 2008.~
Currently The Charles Gray Collection.
Previously Isabela Collection~
 

GWI 2-A PATRIOTIC EAGLE WITH E. PLURIBUS UNUM MOTTO IN RIBBON:

Color: A Grayish White Metal with Gilt Remnants
Metal: Flat, 1-Piece, Impressed Design with Raised Lettering in the Ribbon, Gilded Brass.
Size: 36mm. (Usually 35mm).
Rarity: R-6
Variety Type: Plain Field / Short Thick Olive Branch.
Present Condition: An Excavated Example, Poor Planchet Casting, Poor Impressions.
Obverse Button Analysis: This button is what someone would be expect to have after being buried in the ground for 200+ years. The brass planchet shows metal fatigue, corrosion, and decay. The surface is abrasive to the touch, and shows a waviness along with several shallow depressions from metal fatigue. There is also a rough pocket of corrosion at the nine o'clock position. There is also two blunt long trauma indents at the 5:30 and 9:30 positions. This is probably from some kind of excavation tool, but no supporting information is known. The Eagle's outline is barely visible for viewing, except for a shallow image of the head and wings. Surprisingly, both of the Eagle's talons are clearly shown with a strong impression. Lending to the Eagle's best feature. The Federal Shield still shows a strong impression, but the thirteen inner horizontal stripes in the top of the shield are worn smooth into the surface. The lower vertical stripes with the incuse dots are still shown nicely with remnants of Gilt. The triple vertical lines in-between the stripes are mostly worn smooth. The intertwining Olive Branches still holds a bold lower stem impression, but the upper stems and accenting petals are worn smooth into the surface. The Bundle of Thirteen Arrows shows a good strike for the shafts, but the Arrow tips and nock feathers lost the design detail. The Banner only show a light foot print for an impression. The Roman Block capital letters inside the Riband are mostly decayed into the surface. The thirteen Five Pointed Stars still show a gilded impression, but most of the star's lines have decayed, and do not show a clear star shape.
Reverse Button Analysis: This is flat a one-piece button with a soldered on loop shank. The shank was originally bent to the left, then straightened and then finally broken off to the left, then back to the middle then to break off.

Library Records Has Limited Information on WI 2 A-3:
History: Yes               Recorded Sales Price:              Yes
Current Button Owner and Location:                        Yes
 

GWI 2-B PATRIOTIC EAGLE WITH E. PLURIBUS UNUM MOTTO IN RIBBON:

Color: A Charcoal Dark Brown with A Design Gilt Finish in the Design.
Metal: Flat, 1-Piece, Impressed Design with Raised Lettering in the Ribbon, Brass, Gold-Wash within the Design.
Size: 35mm.
Rarity: R-6
Variety Type: Lined Field / 2 Long Intertwined Laurel Stems.
Present Condition: An Excavated Example, Strong Planchet, Strong Impressions.
Obverse Button Analysis: This is another professionally restored button that was done the right way. The brass Planchet is solid and flat, and shows very little metal fatigue from porosity. The button fortunately retains it's natural aged color shade. The surface is mostly smooth to the touch, but does exhibit a few coarse spots in the open field areas from being buried. The button's design shows no scratches or abrasions and presents a clear image. The Eagle itself has a nice deep strike, and has a good clear image of all the inner details of the head and body. The Federal Shield shows a strong strike, and shows a good image of all the individual stripes, triple lines, and incuse dots. The two intertwining Olive Branches along with it's accenting Petals are clearly displayed. The Bundle of Thirteen Arrows have a nice deep impression, and clearly shows the individual shafts. The Banner's letters are nicely raised, and easily read. The Roman Block capital letters all have nice clear angled lines. The thirteen incuse Five Pointed Stars in the open field all have a nice star shape with clear outlines. This is one of only two buttons to retain a clear image of all the stamped lines in the Star's field. Even though excavated, I would say this was restored to a museum quality piece, and most likely the best known example.
Reverse Button Analysis: This is flat a one-piece button with a soldered on loop shank. The shank is original, straight and intact.

Library Records Has Limited Information on WI 2 B-3:
History:        Yes          Recorded Sales Price:           Yes
Current Button Owner and Location:       ~ New York ~

Dug by Bill Cross by a Slave Cabin the Low Country of South Carolina near Edisto Island in 2009.~
The Isabela Collection.~