Odd find

[Ian C]

While repairing some pipes the other day, I found this Great Seal of the U.S. at about 3 foot deep. Made me wonder how it got there. I will never get a definitive answer, but wondered could it have been a military uniform insignia or cap badge? The web was useless for information about usage. My house was built as a pub in 1860, but my best guess is it arrived during ww2.
There is a lot of diverse knowledge on this forum, so I thought why not ask.

 

[dang]

That's cool, but now I want to see photos of your house.

 

[tferrer]

I'm sure you could find a specialist forum where old, obsessed, anal retentive dudes blather on about inconsequential details......oh, wait..

 

[coupesport]

Using Chrome web browser you can mouse over your image, left click, and select 'Search image with Google Lens'. Several matches are found and at 1st glance most suggest WWI. Have a try.

 

[bavbob]

I love stuff like this. There is an interesting story behind this. Was it still a pub during WWI............a drunk soldier, a bar fight.......

 

[Ohmess]

Looks like a bronze WWI cap badge worn by US enlisted men.

 

[Fritzie]

I will ask a colleague of mine. He is an expert.

 

[Fritzie]

I will ask a colleague of mine. He is an expert.

Reply from my colleague:

the image does indeed look American for the “Eagle” and since I see something of nickel or something like that over the red copper I guess it will never be much older than WW2.
View attachment 133887View attachment 133887In terms of model, it corresponds to the late (from 1902 to the present) model. Given the design that is a bit tighter on the image you sent, I think it is indeed a bit more recent.

The name is General Service Button.

us general service button - Google Zoeken

 

[Ian C]

Tried the google lens trick, thanks coupesport, and found 2 images where the pattern seemed identical, one from a 1902 service cap one from 1920's on eBay uk.
I imagine that's not a foolproof way to date it though. The place was a pub until the late 50's early 60's, so during both wars. This was always going to stay a mystery, but trying to find a few details has reduced my cabin fever......3 days into a week of isolation due to being omicron positive.

 

[Arde]

In my very limited experience a 1 meter stratum depth corresponds to 200 years.
Given that the house was built as a pub in 1860 and that British convicts arrived in Australia until 1868, the mostly likely origin is that the British crook stole a US uniform jacket from a US soldier at a British pub before the crook was shipped to Australia.

Entre nous, the above story will get you a better price on Ebay than the WWII theory.

 

[ablank135]

In my very limited experience a 1 meter stratum depth corresponds to 200 years.
Given that the house was built as a pub in 1860 and that British convicts arrived in Australia until 1868, the mostly likely origin is that the British crook stole a US uniform jacket from a US soldier at a British pub before the crook was shipped to Australia.

Entre nous, the above story will get you a better price on Ebay than the WWII theory.

As far as stories go, I was actually picturing some bar fight in which a surly American impugned the honor of (pick one or more) a local Sheila, OZ beer, Breaker Morant, or the Australian Armed Forces in general, then got his comeuppance and buttons forcibly removed. So check for bones, too.

 

[Gazz]

As far as stories go, I was actually picturing some bar fight in which a surly American impugned the honor of (pick one or more) a local Sheila, OZ beer, Breaker Morant, or the Australian Armed Forces in general, then got his comeuppance and buttons forcibly removed. So check for bones, too.

Honor........local sheila........are you sure?

 

[Ian C]

After sampling the beer or the Sheilas I would seriously doubt a negative reaction. However if a peacetime plumber in uniform arrived for a beer and offered to help with a pipe problem, and had arrived on a 42 WLA Harley, I could see him ending up at the bottom of the hole. Maybe I should get the shovel out again.