Help with first decent find

[TQ Tim]

Hi, all
Dug out my first find (well the 1st one not straight in the bin) and wondered if anyone knows what it is. When I dug it it looked copper now as you can see it looks more interesting! It has a concave & a convex side (2nd image down). The convex side has a slight embossing and the concave side has a slight fastening?? and seems to have been painted black and some writing exists but all I can see now is either a 'M' or a 'N'. It does feel slightly heavy for its size.
Thanks in advance
Tim

[Jayreef]

Button fragment?

well done

[Blackadder43]

Yea i would go with a button fragment....maybe chopped up by a plough?
Can you make out anything of the markings?

[TQ Tim]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. Can't really make any more out, there are dots going all the way round on the inside plus what I think is a 'M'. Any ideas on the metal type??
Tim

bit 006.jpg

[Jayreef]

Bronze copper alloy normally

[Oldest Swinger]

TQ Tim hi being new myself I have been on 3 organised digs so far (total about 17 hrs detecting) and every trip, among loads of other crap, I have always managed to find at least one button, mostly in crap condition but one (although badly damaged) was conditionally good enough to positively identify as a 17th century button.
A great site to use to identify your buttons (of which there is likely to be many more) is this one.

http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/

Just go to search key in Buttons and take a browse till you get a match.

Best of luck in the future Paul

Ps you dont say where you found it.

[TQ Tim]

Jayreef & Paul,
Thanks for that, I've looked through the UK Finds Database and there are several buttons with similar general design, size etc, all given as 17thC copper alloy. Mine's obviously in a bad state as I found it on the estuary foreshore, so a tidal zone with brackish water.
Thanks
Tim

[groundsniff]

its hedge fodder mate,
we all find it.