Two-piece Block "I" (Yellow & Red Brass)

Description: Solid, medium width block 'I' on a plain field. Typical examples (usually of yellow brass) have a slightly raised rim, 'puffed' rim examples (usually of red brass) seem to be a Western variant. Brass/copper backs occur on Virginia made locals, while tin and iron backs occur in all theaters. Backs were usually not marked, although brass examples often had some variation of "E.M. Lewis & Co. Richmond VA."

Dimensions: Coat size (22-23mm diameter), and cuff size (16mm)

Makers: Various, probably throughout the Confederacy, though brass/copper backed examples were made by E.M. Lewis (Richmond) who also manufactured other block letter branch of service buttons. Many buttons manufactured by Lewis were not backmarked.

Finds Distribution: Antietam, MD Sept. 1862 battle site (brass backs); Grenada, MS 1862/1863 camp sites (normal type); Shelbyville, TN early 1863 campsites (normal type); Gettysburg, PA July 1863 battle site (brass backs); Bayou Bourbeau, LA Nov. 1863 battle site; Dalton, GA 1863/1864 winter camps (both "puffed" rim and normal types), Knoxville, Tenn. Winter 1863-1864 Longstreet's siege lines and winter camps (both "puffed" rim and normal types); Atlanta Campaign areas Spring-Summer 1864 (both "puffed" rim and normal types); Franklin, TN Nov. 1864 battle site (both "puffed" rim and normal types), Petersburg, VA 1864/1865 siege lines (iron & brass backs).