Coat Size Hard Rubber Eagle I - Civil War Berdan's Sharpshooters Officers Button

Description

For sale is one very hard to find non-dug, high-convex, coat size (21 mm), Civil War US Army "Berdan's" Sharpshooters "Eagle I" officers' button.  It consists of molded one-piece black hard rubber with an embedded shank.
----
The First and Second US Sharpshooter Regiments were raised in September-October 1861, consolidated together in December 1864, and broken up on February 20, 1865.
Warren Tice, in his "Uniform Buttons of the United States, 1776-1865" writes, "Lincoln invited Hiram Berdan, one of America's foremost marksmen, to form an elite brigade of two regiments made up of marksmen.  To enlist, a candidate had to place ten consecutive shots within a ten-inch circle, at a range of two hundred yards.  The Sharpshooters originally were equipped with heavy target rifles.  Colt revolving rifles were later issued, but proved unsatisfactory due to 'blow back' and dangerous chain-firing difficulties.
"After struggling with the Army establishment to obtain state-of-the-art weapons, Berdan gained the direct approval of Lincoln to purchase breech-loading Sharps rifles.  The fighting spirit, and accurate fire of the Sharpshooters, became legendary but their numbers became depleted by combat as the war intensified.  Sharpshooters were camouflaged with green uniforms and nonreflective, black hard rubber buttons.
"Charles Goodyear discovered the process of producing hard rubber in 1839, and his brother Nelson patented improved processes for manufacturing rubber items in 1849 and 1851.  The two brothers were sons of Amasa Goodyear, who made white metal Light Artillery and Infantry buttons at Waterbury, Connecticut around 1808-1814.  Actual production of hard rubber military buttons was done under license arrangements by the Novelty Rubber Company of New York and Brunswick, New Jersey.  Some hard rubber specimens appear to have aged to a brown color.  Although the Sharpshooter Brigade was not an independent arm of the U.S. Army, its unique equipment, mission, and valor warrants separate listing."
----
This coat size button is specifically listed as Tice's SS216A1 and as Albert's GI86A1 with the correct "N . R . Co. / GOODYEAR'S P=T. 1851." raised mark backmark.  It dates between 1861-1865.
This example is in very good condition with some signs of use and wear on the obverse as shown. On the reverse, one side of the small molded collar securing the shank in place is missing (see angled detail images) but it does not appear that the shank has been affected.
For shipping, we use well-padded boxes, typically ship same- or next-day, and always combine costs on multiple lots.
***This auction contains USPS Priority Mail shipping with full tracking, insurance, and Signature Confirmation.  We will cover the difference between actual USPS costs and the bidder's shipping contribution.***
Good luck bidding on this very uncommon and desirable Civil War button!  In nearly 30 years of collecting, this is one of the few of this type we have ever seen.