many others, are made of two discs of metal, the
impression on the outer ones being produced by a sharp blow in a stamp,
the under ones having two holes pierced in them for the shanks, which
are put through and bent flat on the inside. They are next passed
through another press which firmly fastens the two discs together, and
holds the shank so securely as to obviate the necessity of having
recourse to soldering.

Covered buttons are made in an immense variety of textiles. It is
impossible in the space allowed for this paper to enumerate them, but I
may add that their ingenious construction, their good wearing qualities,
the clever mechanism of the tools by which the various discs of cloth,
metal, millboard, etc., are cut out, and the methods of uniting them so
as to form a complete button, are marvels of skill and industry.

The earliest covered buttons were made so recently as the year 1802, in
Birmingham, by Mr. B. Sanders. Those buttons had metal shanks, but by
the ingenuity of Mr. Sanders, jun., his father's invention was completed
by tufts of canvas, through which the buttons could be attached to
garments, being substituted for rigid metal shanks. The only improvement
since made has been that of covering the back of the silk-fronted
buttons also with silk.

A covered button consists of two discs of metal and one of millboard,
thicker or thinner, according to circumstances. In making it, the sheet
of iron is first scaled, by the use of powerful acids, and then cut into
proper size and shape by a press. The neck, or collet, of the button is
japanned after being stamped and cut. The hollow between the neck and
shell is filled with millboard. When the parts are put together and
pressed the button is brought into shape, and its several parts are
consolidated.

It was in the year 1841 that Mr. John Aston made the first three-fold
linen button--that is, a button formed of a linen covering and a ring of
metal, so put together that both sides and centre were completely
covered with separate pieces of linen, and thus produced being quite
flat. This being an exceedingly neat and convenient button, it became
largely patronised, as it still is by housewives, for all underclothing,
having superseded the old thread button formed of a ring of wire, with
threads drawn over it and gathered in the centre. A slight improvement
was made by Mr. Elliott. During the time that the patent lasted these
two gentlemen worked in concert,