Post by RecoveringRelics on Jul 24, 2010 12:40:06 GMT -5
I found my Phoenix Button just a few weeks after I bought my detector. I dug a replica Navy Button in the same area minutes before I made the find of a lifetime. The Phoenix Button was only about 4 1/2 inches down maybe 50 yards from my living room. I dug it, looked at it, and ran to my back door to show my dad what I found. I could tell the writing was in another language, but I didn't have much success identifying it. It would be a month before I knew what I had actually found.
The Phoenix Button originates in Haiti. Henry Christophe became the king of Haiti in 1807. Christophe reigned as king until 1820, until he became sick and could not recover. He killed himself the same year he became ill. Henry Christophe's coat-of-arms was the Phoenix, a type of bird. The Haitian Military wore Phoenix Buttons and Buckles in honor of him. On the top of the button reads; "JE RENAIS DE MES CENDRES". This is French, Haiti's native language, and translates, "I rose from my own ashes". The buttons are number 1 through 30, with 11-13, 15-19, and 21-24 being skipped. My Phoenix Button is Number 29.
After Christophe's death, the button maker sold the remaining button to the West Coast of the United States. One of the ships carrying the Phoenix Buttons made a stop in Hawaii, where a Phoenix Button has been found, but the regiment number on the bottom has never been found on another Phoenix Button. Nathaniel Wyeth was a trader, in the process of setting up a trading post in Portland, Oregon. Most of the Phoenix Buttons were sold to him. It is believed that the Phoenix Buttons were traded to Native Americans for furs and salmon. The Indians would then trade with other tribes, spreading Phoenix Buttons up and down the West Coast. There have been around ten of these buttons reported to be found East of the Rocky Mountains, but many go unreported. Three of the reported buttons found East of the Rockies were found in Virginia. The others have been found in various states.
What was a Phoenix Button doing in my backyard? It may be because of New England's early settlements, and Indian's may have been drawn to my area. Right now, my Phoenix Button sits in a golf ball display case and sits proudly on my desk. The Phoenix Button was a find of a lifetime and is the main reason I will be metal detecting for the rest of my life.
The Phoenix Button originates in Haiti. Henry Christophe became the king of Haiti in 1807. Christophe reigned as king until 1820, until he became sick and could not recover. He killed himself the same year he became ill. Henry Christophe's coat-of-arms was the Phoenix, a type of bird. The Haitian Military wore Phoenix Buttons and Buckles in honor of him. On the top of the button reads; "JE RENAIS DE MES CENDRES". This is French, Haiti's native language, and translates, "I rose from my own ashes". The buttons are number 1 through 30, with 11-13, 15-19, and 21-24 being skipped. My Phoenix Button is Number 29.
After Christophe's death, the button maker sold the remaining button to the West Coast of the United States. One of the ships carrying the Phoenix Buttons made a stop in Hawaii, where a Phoenix Button has been found, but the regiment number on the bottom has never been found on another Phoenix Button. Nathaniel Wyeth was a trader, in the process of setting up a trading post in Portland, Oregon. Most of the Phoenix Buttons were sold to him. It is believed that the Phoenix Buttons were traded to Native Americans for furs and salmon. The Indians would then trade with other tribes, spreading Phoenix Buttons up and down the West Coast. There have been around ten of these buttons reported to be found East of the Rocky Mountains, but many go unreported. Three of the reported buttons found East of the Rockies were found in Virginia. The others have been found in various states.
What was a Phoenix Button doing in my backyard? It may be because of New England's early settlements, and Indian's may have been drawn to my area. Right now, my Phoenix Button sits in a golf ball display case and sits proudly on my desk. The Phoenix Button was a find of a lifetime and is the main reason I will be metal detecting for the rest of my life.