Button from Betsy (VCU_3D_1465)

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This relic was salvaged from the wrecked vessel Betsy, situated in the York River, near Yorktown, Virginia. It bears the number 43, denoting the regimental affiliation of its owner. Crafted between 1760-1790, it showcases a remarkable state of preservation, enabling archaeologists to gather valuable insights into eighteenth-century shipbuilding techniques and furnishings (Broadwater 1992:39). The British deliberately sank Betsy in 1781 as part of a strategic fleet disposal. For further information, consult John Broadwater's 1992 publication Shipwreck in a Swimming Pool: An Assessment of the Methodology & Technology Utilized on the Yorktown Shipwreck Archaeological Project. Historical Archaeology 26(4):26-46 and the National Geographic article "Yorktown Shipwreck," 1988. This artifact was digitally scanned using a Go!Scan 50 at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources' archaeological curation facility in Richmond, Virginia. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources has granted permission for the model to be downloaded for non-commercial educational purposes.