Through many contacts and a mistake made by the Waterbury button company I am now awaiting my 1870-1890 USRCS buttons - made with the original dies by the original manufacturer - just brand new. My re-enactor friends said to call them "Waterbury-made "later model" or "late 1800's" RCS buttons".
I am stoked. I had to buy two gross boxes of each size (144 buttons in a gross), but at what originals cost - it was a bargain.
These buttons were sold to a re-enactor group as early model buttons (pre-Civil War), but it turns out that the die the company found and used the latter version dies; therefore the re-enactment group sent back the entire order. When they returned them - a guy who belongs to the group emailed me to let me know that the company was soon to have several gross boxes of the late model buttons.
I will post pics when I recieve them. It is hard to believe this has happened - I had written off ever getting actual USRCS buttons made just for a few coats/vests or buying originals due to the emmense cost.
V/R
PR