1789 Memorable Era Button. Type as Cobb-4, DeWitt GW 1789-4, Baker-1010 (but unlisted in this size in all three references). Brass. Fine. 16.6 mm. With the original shank intact. Sharpness of Very Fine, or perhaps even better at the time it was lost and first exposed to the elements. The surfaces are now deep green and uniformly rough, with tan earthen deposits in the recesses that help the distinctive and immensely historic design stand out visually. The eagle and sun are easy to see, while the letters around the rim are a bit tougher. Still, MARCH THE FOURTH can be discerned with some study, MARCH being centered at about 7 oclock, rotated in position only slightly from that seen on the larger, more commonly seen coat buttons. This small-size piece was likely a cuff button, which would suggest a set, but it is clearly an extremely rare type. We have never handled one, nor was any known to Cobb or DeWitt. Our consignor noted one other known to him, dug in Pennsylvania, and with identical patina. This example was discovered by our consignor while metal detecting in the Shenandoah Valley near Winchester, Virginia and has never before been offered for sale.This type, prized as the lone dated issue traditionally cataloged among the Washington inaugural buttons, is not an inaugural button at all. It is, in fact, something much more significant. The Confederation Congress, the governmental body that predated that of the United States and operated under the Articles of Confederation, selected March 3, 1789, as its official close of business. The following day, March 4, 1789, was likewise specified as the first day of operations for the United States, governed by the United States Constitution. It is the official beginning of the nation identified as the United States, as we know it today, the beginning of a most <em>Memorable Era. </em>The first inauguration of George Washington would not happen until several weeks later, on April 30, 1789.
