Most vintage metal buttons were made from brass or copper. Sterling, Gold or Pewter buttons were much less common. Some metal buttons were ornamental and some were embossed with patterns or pictures. One of the most sought after metal buttons is any brass picture button from the Victorian era.
To tell if a button is celluloid, run it under hot water, then smell it. If it smells like Vicks Vapor or mothballs, it is celluloid.
Buttons from the 18th century and earlier are considered rare and valuable. If you have any buttons that you believe to be valuable, or you just want to identify the material they are made of, contact a button collector or button dealer. An excellent place to start is the National Button Society.
More commonly, buttons were made of bone or wood. Button forms of these materials were also used as foundations for fabric-covered buttons. Thread buttons were made by wrapping the thread over a wire ring.
How many old the history of button is supposed?
Ian McNeil (1990) holds that the button was originally used more as an ornament than as a fastening, the earliest known being found at Mohenjo-daro in the Indus Valley. It is made of a curved shell and about 5000 years old.
Precious Metals Metal buttons can come in everything from steel or brass to silver and gold. However, the rarest and most valuable will be precious metals. Sterling silver buttons, for instance, will often bear the word Sterling or the number 925.
On November 18, 1963, the first electronic push-button system with touch-tone dialing was commercially offered by Bell Telephone to customers in the Pittsburgh area towns of Carnegie and Greensburg, Pennsylvania, after the DTMF system had been tested for several years in multiple locations, including Greensburg.
Buttonholes for fastening or closing clothing with buttons appeared first in Germany in the 13th century. However it is believed that ancient Persians used it first. They soon became widespread with the rise of snug-fitting garments in 13th- and 14th-century Europe.
Its always good to keep a stash of buttons as you never know when you might need them. Alternatively, you can always donate any unwanted buttons to charity shops. The Charity Retail Organisation website can help you to find your nearest charity shop.