Antique clothing button was probably produced in the the 1800s. I believe this is called a RADIANT or a REFLECTOR -- which is a button that is made of clear glass which is molded on both top and bottom into various shapes. In this case, it is covered with a series of circular bumps or knobs. The button has mold marks on the bottom/shank side. Mom marked this one: C3 - 13 -- which I believe is some kind of identification number for this subset of buttons. In any case, there is a small spot of colored glass at the bottom/center, which when held at different angles, causes the colors to be reflected and projected in different ways. This one has a lavender / purple color. It has a metal loop shank embedded in the back. Please refer to the ruler pictured in the image for the exact button size. Overall condition: Solid Good to VG+..... It is difficult to rate the condition on this one, because there is a flaw I'm not sure how to describe -- if it even is a flaw. There is a chip along one of the side edges where there appears to be some missing glass. The way these buttons were produced was in molds and there was sometimes excess glass extending off the button surface when it had cooled. This excess glass would be manually broken away during the production process, but this sometimes took some of the main portion of the outer edge with it. So I am not sure if the chip on this button is a production flaw caused when the button was produced -- or is a later flaw caused by handing. I am also not sure if this distinction makes any difference to collectors. Can anyone out there help me with this question? In any case, this flaw is not too noticeable when viewed directly from the top, but is more noticeable when viewed from the affected side. Otherwise, there may be slight surface wear -- but there are no cracks, and the button will still display well. See attached photos for more detail on the condition. ***************************************** PLEASE NOTE: I am NOT an expert on vintage buttons. My mom -- Nancy Moran -- was a longtime member of the National Button Society, plus was active in several local button clubs in New York. She is downsizing, so I am helping her sell some of her collection. But I am not familiar with all the terminology and intricacies of button collecting. I try to use various notes she left with the buttons to describe them to the best of my ability, but understand that any terms I use in describing these items, are not terms I am familiar or experienced with. So please use the attached images to form your own opinions. I am also not knowledgeable on the hobby criteria in condition grading -- so I use my condition grades in a commonsense manner -- as if grading any collectible -- they are not based on any hobby standards. Please contact me if you have specific questions, and I will answer them as best I can.
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