Page 36 - November-December1965

282 NATTONAL BUTTON BULLETIN Nov.-Dec., 196.5

A THREE-PART WOT]DEN MtrLD
Ttre mold shown bere is som€rilrhat difierent from the wooden molds previously
Itst€d. It is a ttrree-piece mold-ttre base plate holds the two lead matrices, ttre
two side bars form the shanks. Ib has another distinctive feature in ttra,t the
E!.atrlces are impressions of coins. The larger one, the obverse of ttrc Massashu-
setts cent dated 1?8?; the smaller one, a Sparish coin with ttre familiar motto
Utra4ue Unum.

Ttris mold, shown slightly reduced in size, is flve inches long. Il will be
noticed that the areas around the parts that form the shanks a,re badly charred
from the hot mefal. Ttre deterioration of ttris portion, probably accounts for the
scarcity of thjs type of mold. T'he buttons are shown in actual size' They do not
trave a clear and sharp design, due to the gradual wearing away of the soft metal
in the matrices.
A specimen of the Ma^ssachusetts cent button was noied some years ago in an
exhibition in Lhe American Wing of ttre Metropolitan Museum in New York City.
T'lxe source of this button was not given. Ftom ihe device on tJrese buitons, it
may be presumed L}:rat al least one member of an early Massachuseits Militia
Company molded tris own uniform buttons.
Contributed by A.H."DEWY" AIBEFTT