Page 40 - October1997

222 NATIONAL BUTTON BULLETIN October 1997

A-1. This pcrfectly smooth half--dome has bccn fclund in transparent green glass. in
transparent blue of a medium slrade. and as a papelweight. The paper$,eight has rather a dark
transparent green cro\\n over a black base fleckecl with 1bil.
A-2. On this button. the dome shapc has brokcn out in a rash of hobnails. for thc u,hole
sr.rrf'ace is pebbled rvith small raised burnps. The single spccimen discovered is of transparent green
qlass decorated with swirled n'hite overlay triln.
A-3. Here is another. so far as is known. single-spccimcn pattcln. It has thc appcarance of
fbur nolded rings ofgraduated size piled one upon another to fbrm a bcehire ofsorts. This button
is ofdull opaque rose-colored glass.
A-4. This surooth. plain oval, fairly hrgh conrex. has been noted in opaque.ladc green, opaquc
medium blue, and transparent cobalt blue.
A-5. And hele's a heart tbr the sentimental! The pafticular'little glass valentine shown is of
transparcnt green with white swirled overlay trim. and a specimen of transparent cobalt swirlcd
with white has also come under observation. Both eramples are finishcd u'ith thc "pigtail" shank.
only one end ofwhich is sunk in the glass body ofthe button rvhile the other is curved around to
form a closed, or almost closed, hook. This arrangement may occasionally strr a f-aint, uneasy
wonder as to u,hether the button may not haye begun life as a corsage pin, or possibly even a hat
pin. the shank of which u'as latcr clipped and bent around to improvise this particular type of
shank. This inrputation on such a button's legitinracy. hou'ever. has never been substantiated by
any positive data and n.ray. to all practical purposes. be disregarded. since the shank is not scriouslv
qucslioncd in N.B.S. cornpctitiolr.
A-6. Here is one of the nrorc curious shapes discovered. a three-sided nvramid. The onlv
example at hand is black u ith a uhitc bantl of ovcrlay h'im.
A-7. Solid geometry takcs a nrorc lanriliar lblm here. a high four-sided pyramid. Thc button
r.r,as made in a solid color glass (Both plain opaque white. as shorvn in the draning. and opaqr"re
white u'ith a band of red overlay trinr arc known). antl as a papcnvcight. Of thc paperueights. the
one shoun in the photouraph is relatively lhriliar'. a clcarcap over a rvhite coil on a black base. A
latticinio set-up on a blue background has also bccn lcportecl in this shape.
A-8. On this button the high pyramid or conc is rnoditlcd by f-ace'ting. The only specinrerr
examincd is of anrber glass.
A-9. Another geometrical shape is secn in this hcxugonal butlon. the sir rertical ridges
ten.ninating on the top in small shoulders to fbnl a ring sLrlrounding thc insct mctal tip. The more
tarniliar version of the shape has a rvhitc bod)' rnottlctl u ith purple slag or erlar'. One specimen of
black glass riith a band ofr.vhite overlay trim has also bccn notctl.
A-10. The basic heragonal fbrrr herc is elaboratccl b1'firccting ancl thc appealance is Iil1her
complicated. fbr purposes of illustration. by overlal" trim of thite lnd goldstonc tlots. The pattem
has been fbund both with bodies ofblack. gray. and oftransparent recl glass.
A-l l. Trvo types of tive-section melon-rnold buttons ha\ c bccn lunrpctl uncler thc single nunrber
A-l l. lt is occasionally difllcult to distinguish betr.r'een the tlo and the intcrcsts ol'collectors seern
bcst scrvcd by cstablishing onc all-inclusivc numbcr shich non't lcavc an1, Is-it-tiris<rr'-is-it{hat tag
cnds hanging about. Tl.re two types. holr'ever. do hare distinctire characteristics u'hich ars pictured
and discusscd as A- I I -a and A- I I -b.
A-l l-a. On tlris rnoderately high conYer su irlback button the fir'e broacl fibs. tapcring ull to the
tip, are almost invariably separatcd one fi'om another b! distinct channels.
More variations ofh'im and ofbody structure are to be found in this sl.rapc than in any othcr of
the plain tip buttons. These variations include: solid color bodies with single bands of conllrlslinS
overlay trim. (This is the conrnon. and plentifirl t1'pe. in rvhich one can find black uith whitc blnds.
white rvith various colored bands. antl numsrous transparent and opaque colors with rvhite biincls): an
occasional colored body *,ith a tuo-colorcd band (On rccord are a light opaque blue bod-v.' uith red
band bordered in uhite. and a transparcnt rcd body urth ri'hite-edged red band): a vcry rarc colorcd
bod)' rvrth no trirn s'hatsoer er lThc one specir.nen noted is of clear anrber): a f'eu eran, ples u here the
overlay trim takes the fbrm of sll'illed slag (Thc nrost r.rotable of these is a clambroth bodl'uith red.
u'hite and blue suirls): an erar.r.rple or tr.r'o of thc ever desirable sheath or,erlal (Amethvst and
transparent blue. both oler u'hite coles and u ithout any bands of trim. havc been noted): ar]d. the
cream ofthe crop. paperr,eights (A surprising nunrbcr ofthese ale orr record: latticinio set-up on
amber: goldstone sn'irl on dark blue: rvhite mottling on anrethvst: a red spiral on rihite: and a blue and
u'hite coil set-up.) Sho\\,n is u,hite-with-green paperu,cight.