I metal detected heavily from 1969 until around 2000, with special interest in Rev War buttons, esp. French ones having had an ancestor who was a surgeon in the French army at Yorktown. The late Mac Mason took me to some of "his" spots and showed me how to use my Metrotech. I hit the jackpot in the greater-Williamsburg area. Probably 1/3 of the French buttons in Don Troiani's "Military Buttons of the American Revolution" are from my collection and I've acquired two collectors since then of guys that dug French buttons around Yorktown. Strangely, I had little luck finding British or Hessian buttons when I dug; most everything came from French jackets. Back in the 1970's I found the main French camp used before the Siege of Yorktown in 1781. I hunted day and night and even on weekends for many decades; most of the time hunting at night to keep others from clearing out spots I had meticulously researched. This 8th French Infantry Regiment button, from that camp, is in great condition, with little corrosion on the face.

My friend, artist Keith Rocco, tells me these small buttons were worn on the front of the jacket, whereas the larger buttons were worn on the tail of the jacket. Check out artist Don Troiani for button placement on these French jackets. He's got a lot of French Regimental small prints for sale on the Wm Britain miniature website; also available on Ebay. You can frame these French buttons I'm selling with a Troiani French soldier print; I've done many of them.

According to Don Troiani's book on Rev War buttons, the Bearn Regiment assumed the #13 in 1776. They were renamed the Agenois, 14th Regt, in 1775. The #8 was assigned to the Bourbonnais Regiment (brass / yellow) between 1962 and 1767. It is therefore likely that the buttons found from the 8th French Infantry Regiment at Yorktown and Williamsburg are older buttons still in use by the Bourbonnais or Agenois Regiments. Put another way, this button may date to the late 1760's, Before the Rev War began.