How to Identify Pieces of Civil War Artifacts

Examine the front of a button. Look for a state seal, clearly visible on most Civil War uniform buttons. Determine the button's material. Brass, silver plate and pewter were the most common materials used during the Civil War for button manufacturing. Examine the button's shank. This is the small hook used to attach the button to the uniform; it indicates the period the button was manufactured. Civil War-era buttons have a circular depression around the shank. A small, round shank indicates a Civil War button. The button was manufactured much later than the Civil War if the shank is set in small holes. Inspect the button's "back mark." The back mark is the lettering on the back of the button; it identifies the manufacturer of the button. "Scovill &Co. Waterbury," was a prominent maker of military uniform buttons during the Civil War. "W.H. Horstmann &Sons" was the next most popular button maker during the Civil War era.

Examine swords for certain manufacturer markings on the blade and grip to confirm a Civil War-era sword. The Ames Company, a prominent manufacturer of sabers used in the Civil War marked its blades with "N.P Ames," prior to 1847. After 1847, blades were marked with "Ames Mfg. Co." Another producer of Civil War era swords -- Christoper Robey -- distinguished its swords by adding two extra twists of wire on the grip.

Examine markings on the Sutler token. Look for the name "Sutler," the vendor issuing the token. Find the name of the solder's regiment, which was listed on the different batches of coins to categorize them. Check the denomination of the token. Suttler coins were issued in denominations from three cents to $1.