Thursday, February 27, 2014

State Seals and Motto's on Buttons

  
50 State Seals-click on image to enlarge  
 
The use of seals was brought to America from Europe by the colonists. These were the forerunners of the State Seals today.
Every one of our 50 states has an official seal and their devices are used by them on the uniform buttons of the State Militia. The Militia is the oldest service of our armed forces, going back to the very first year of the colonies.
     Most of the State Seals were adopted in the “Victorian Era”, as a glance at some elaborate designs will reveal. Many of the states obtained their seals only after a bitter debate and they can be altered only by law.  The state seal button device came with use some time after the adoption of the seal.
     Six states use the exact state seal device on their state seal buttons; some alter it somewhat but the seal is still recognizable. Three states do not use any part of the device of the state seal on their state seal buttons. They are Wyoming, South Carolina and Vermont.
     Greatly as State Seal buttons differ in appearance, a study reveals that they have many designs and ideas in common.
 16 quality as heraldic—a shield is the main design
one half show landscapes depicting the surrounding region,
one half give agriculture a place
one third show means of transportation—trains, covered wagons, ships, etc. 
                             Just Buttons magazine Mar-Apr 1978
 

Saturday, February 15, 2014

3 pairs ex. large brass antique pictorial buttons

Bellum and Pax, War and Peace. Bellum was a Roman adaptation of the Greek warrior goddess, Athena.
She is shown within a border of laurel and palm, both used to honor those victorious in war.
Pax, or Peace, has a sprig of wheat in her helmet and an olive wreath border, symbols of agriculture
click on image to enlarge

 

Friday, February 7, 2014

St. Valentine’s Day legends plus buttons

How did Valentine become the patron saint of lovers?
    According to one legend, in third-century Rome young men did not want to enlist in the army to fight the emperor’s wars. Claudius II ordered young men not to marry, believing if they did not have wives they would be more willing to leave Rome for the battlefield. Moved by compassion for the young men and their sweethearts, Valentine the priest married them secretly.
 
Why do valentine cards end “From Your Valentine”?
     Another legend claims that while Valentine the priest was imprisoned he met the blind daughter of his jailer. He offered prayers for her healing, and the girl’s sight was restored. A friendship was forged. On the night of his death he wrote the girl a farewell message and signed it “From your Valentine”
 
How did cupid come to be associated with St. Valentine’s Day Cards?
    Cupid, represented by a cherub armed with arrows dipped in a love potion, is a figure of Roman mythology. According to those legends, Cupid is the son of Venus, goddess of love and beauty.
Click on picture to enlarge
Happy Valentine's Day