Offered here is a rare lot of two antique Phoenix buttons with deep military trade and frontier history. These historic Phoenix buttons are associated with the early 19th-century Haitian military order connected to King Henri Christophe of Haiti and later with the Pacific Northwest trade network of Nathaniel Wyeth. The lot includes one brass Phoenix button with green verdigris patina and one silver-tone or white-metal Phoenix button with a movable wire hoop shank.
Approximate size based on ruler photos:
Each button appears to measure about 5/8 inch to 3/4 inch across.
Phoenix buttons are known for their distinctive rising phoenix design and their remarkable story across Haiti England and the American frontier. They were originally designed for military uniforms during the reign of King Henri Christophe of Haiti from 1811 to 1820. The design traditionally featured a phoenix rising from flames with the French motto “Je Renais de Mes Cendres” meaning “I am reborn from my ashes” and some examples included regimental numbers. Research on Phoenix buttons connects them to Haitian military use and later trade movement into the Columbia River region through Nathaniel Wyeth and Pacific Northwest fur trade networks.
This lot includes two different metal examples. The brass button shows an aged greenish verdigris surface consistent with long-term oxidation and age. The second button has a darker silver-tone or white-metal appearance with a visible loose hoop shank on the back. The movable wire hoop shank is consistent with early to mid-19th-century button construction and gives these pieces strong antique relic appeal.
Phoenix buttons have one of the more unusual stories in American trade button collecting. They are believed to have been manufactured in England for the army of King Henri Christophe of Haiti and later entered trade circulation after the Haitian order was not completed as originally intended. By the 1830s they were associated with Nathaniel Wyeth’s trading activity in the Columbia River region where he attempted to compete with the Hudson’s Bay Company. The National Park Service notes that Phoenix buttons are believed to have been brought to the Pacific Northwest by Wyeth during this era.
Archaeological and historical research has found Phoenix buttons along the Columbia River and at sites in California including mission and Mexican Republic-era locations. Scholarly discussion connects these buttons to trade networks involving the Pacific Northwest Columbia River region Hudson’s Bay Company activity and broader frontier exchange.
The phoenix symbol itself is especially meaningful in this context. A phoenix rising from the flames represented rebirth renewal and survival which connected strongly to Haiti’s revolutionary history and emergence after independence. This gives the buttons significance not only as military relics but also as objects tied to Haitian history Atlantic trade and the movement of goods into the American West.
This lot is desirable because it includes two Phoenix buttons together with different surface appearances and metal tones. Phoenix buttons appeal to collectors of antique buttons Haitian history early military uniform buttons fur trade relics Pacific Northwest trade goods archaeological finds and 19th-century historical artifacts.
The brass example has strong aged character with green patina and surface wear. The silver-tone example displays raised phoenix detail and a visible movable hoop shank. Together they make a compelling study pair for a collector who wants variation in material finish surface aging and construction.
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