Old Coin/button recognition

[demonfire]

Hi

 

My girlfriend found this old button in a grit box and we cant find any info on it anywhere. It is metal and quite weighty, perhaps copper due to a greenish tint?

 

There is a symbol above the horses rear which has a vertical line with two horizontal lines striking through it. The soldier/knight? looks like he/she has armour on but it is fairly worn.

 

Is it possible that it was a coin later made into a button?

 

the figure on the horse seems to have a lance and helmet

 

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

 

[demonfire]

Someone from another forum suggests that its always been a button and the symbol is the greek letter phi

[demonfire]

Ok ive found the coin, it depicts the ancient Greek god Zeus, the symbols is phi and its from the Late Classical Period, 359-336 B.C. What interests me is that it was a coin but now a button, was it faked? if so it would have to still be incredibly old? Also because of it being found in grit, which is dug from old sea beds, could that prove its age? Fascinating

 

[demonfire]

More possibilities,

 

[thedeadpoint]

huh. fascinating. i just thought it was a plastic button. but i see no reason why it can't be that coin modified to be a button! cool find and thanks for sharing your progress.

[ccg]

I'm going to say that it's always been a button.

 

Many jewelers (and particulary in costume jewelery) like using coins as inspirations / themes for buttons, charms, etc.

 

Napoleon, Queen Elizabeth II, and Alexander the Great are the three that I most commonly encounter, and they're typically from mid-20th century onwards, though I've seen some earlier.

[ccg]

I should add that coins are ocassionally made into jewelery, but the vast majority of "coin" jewelery and accessories are copies.