Amasa Goodyear was a button maker until 1830. Two of his sons, Charles and Nelson, were involved in the vulcanazation (or hardening process) of rubber. Nelson was the banker and money backer, and Charles was considered one of America's inventive geniuses. During Charles' lifetime, he acquired 60 patents for inventions. His life was spent defending each one with every penny he had. His vulcanaztion of rubber in 1849 made the use of rubber buttons posible. In 1851 Nelson acquired a patent for hard rubber buttons also, overriding Charles'. Charles died pennyless at the age of 60. His family did profit from a few of his patents many years after his dealth, but none were for the rubber buttons. The 1849-51 patent date is of particular interest to collectors, as it is rare.

India rubber (also known as gum elastic) is what was used in the hard rubber buttons. The chief sources were from Brazil, Peru, Java and Singapore. It is a milk juice tapped from trees (similar to maple syrup). Dried over a mold and exported; when received in the U.S. it was vulcanized (hardened) and poured into button molds. Today, rubber buttons are still being made through a chemical process and not from the gum elastic as before.

The sizes of Goodyear buttons is also very interesting. There was no universal size. The smallest being a diminutive (under 3/8") and the largest known is 1 3/4". A collecting tip is that any button over 1 1/2" is becoming a real collectible for the future.

The colors are usually basic black, but are also found in brown. There are limited numbers of dull red, black speckled orange, orange and a very few tan.

Picture buttons were not very popular during this limited time period of rubber manufacturing. The buttons found were usually plain or geometrically embossed. Flowers, three animal heads, figs, pears, birds, doe (or sometimes called a dog) in a hoop, stars, crosses, the Liberty head, a wasp, a beetle and two ladies heads are all now becoming a bit harder to find. Very scarce pictures that are nearly unobtainable are the Plumed Horseback Rider and Falcon Huntress.

Goodyears that are extremely unusual and are found to be nearly one of a kind are: inlayed steel or brass cross or star, disc of mother-of-pearl, a glass bead, steel stud, and even a brass estutcheon of a woman's head. There is also said to be a brass-rimmed plain button. The collectibility of different shanks and backs must also be noticed. Rubber pad backs are very rare. To find one with the backmark is a treasure.

Our attention is also called to the printing of the backmarks, which was done primarily by hand. This is a challenge for any Goodyear collector to be able to find a backmark misprinted. You will see dates reversed or even a GODYEAR instead of Goodyear!

There are three political or campaign buttons that are very rare. The rarest being Grant and Colfax/Seymour and Blair heads. The Dancing Frogs, which represent the Greenback Party and the free currency movement came in two sizes. One collector reports that there's a version where one of the frogs seems to have a fish head.

There was only one non-military uniform button made. The Gail Borden Eagle Brand. This is often confused with a military button .

For a very short time, there were a few uniform military buttons made. Two Navy designs (the one on the right is older, pea coat buttons were made well after the Goodyear Patent expired in the 1870's as well) and the sought-after Civil War Infantry buttons. The Berdan's Sharpshooters' used the rarest of Civl War Infantry buttons with an "I" on a shield sunken in the center of the general service eagle button and an additional design without the shield. These courageous soldiers wore black rubber buttons to avoid being detected by the enemy from the sun's rays reflecting off shiny brass uniform buttons.