Some of the buttons displayed diagnostic markings that indicate the name of the manufacturer or the date of manufacture. One is a United States Army general service button (a) with the stamped design on the front being a shielded eagle clutching arrows and an olive branch. On the back it is labeled "SCOVILLS & Co EXTRA," indicating the Scovill Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut. Scoville was a major supplier of military uniform buttons. Another specimen is a hard rubber button (b) with its back marked "NOVELTY RUBBER CO." The last specimen is a two-piece snap button (c) that has a patent date of "PAT JUNE 11 1898" stamped into the bottom piece. The accompanying sketch (d) shows the snap button patented in 1889 by P.A. Raymond (Patent No. 405,179, Google Patents ).