"John Smith" type - gorgeous early Civil War era Corps of Engineers coat button

Description

For sale is one beautiful non-dug, two-piece, coat size (23 mm) early Civil War era US Army Corps of Engineers button (Albert's EG6) with the distinctive 'ESSAYONS' device.  Congress authorized the Corps of Engineers in 1802 and this device has been in use by the Engineers on buttons ever since.
This button is listed as Tice's desirable EG215K, "a small eagle has wings with leading edges facing top of design, and a flat region between sun and rays," with the backmark "D. EVANS & CO. ATTLEBORO' MASS" on a ribbon with a star between two ends.  Both Tice and McGuinn and Bazelon date this backmark's use from as early as 1850 through the Civil War.  Tice does specifically list this backmark as EG215E2, but the face design found here is clearly EG215K as shown in Plate D-16, Image 13 [Tice's EG215K1].  Regardless, Tice dates both types to the Civil War or earlier.
Under EG215K1, Tice describes the only listed K-type backmark, writing "'JOHN SMITH NEW YORK' depressed-mark on a ribbon with an eagle between ends.  This is a very low convex example of early two-piece construction."  McGuinn and Bazelon theorize that the Smith Engineers button is a Robinson die, which would make sense as Robinson used similar backmarks under their own name across the 1830s and 1840s.  In 1848, D. Evans took over Robinson's uniform button manufacturing and began using their dies and backmark designs.
Therefore, we suspect this Engineers example dates to the early 1850s given the John Smith design of the 1830s or 1840s, the same "very low convex early two-piece construction" and its classic high 'Gilded Age' quality.  It is in excellent condition with no pushes, a slightly bent shank (see side image) and a spectacular heavily-gilted finish.
For shipping, we use well-padded boxes, typically ship same- or next-day, and always combine costs on multiple lots.  This auction contains USPS First Class shipping with full tracking and insurance.