These black composition buttons are the Confederate equivalent of the hard-rubber buttons used by the US Navy at the time. They are about the same size, use four holes for attachment, and were intended for overcoats. See, Tice and also The English Connection for details. The face bears the CS Navy fouled anchor superimposed on crossed cannon, on a stippled field with a “CN” at bottom and rope border. The back is lettered in depressed markings, “[dot] COURTNEY & TENNENT [dot]/ CHARLESTON [dot] S [dot] C [dot] / MANTON’S PATENT” and there is a small swan below the ampersand of the top line.

There was some debate in April 1863 between CS Commander J.H. North and G.B. Tennent (of Courtney and Tennent) on the use of CN on these buttons versus the CSN used on the brass buttons, but the simple CN seems to have won out. The material is sometimes referred to as vegetable ivory, but is a composite material. Tice identifies “Manton’s Patent” as a British 1860 patent for the use of shellac and ground minerals, likely black basalt in this case, mixed to a paste and heated under pressure in a mold to solidify and take the design impressed in the mold. (The English Connection refers to vegetable ivory and to a patent by “Dain, Watts & Manton of Birmingham,” but we are likely talking about the same thing.) Most are pierced with four holes like their US navy hard rubber cousins, but some appear with just two.

Courtney and Tennent were in the hardware and military goods business in Charleston at least from 1849. During the war Tennent moved to England, where he acted as representative for the business, naval agent and intermediary for the Confederate military and British manufacturers, and seems to have done some business on his own in Confederate cotton bonds. These came in through the blockade, but were available for direct purchase in England, where a number of CS ships were outfitted, with CS Navy lieutenant George Sinclair bringing home a number that he had purchased there for the crew of the prospective CSS Texas, which was seized by British authorities before completion. His group included some sixty of these buttons, many still mounted six to a card.

This is a very strong example of a regulation CS Navy button. [sr] [ph:L]

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