I posted the following a couple of days ago, and thought maybe I should
clarify it a little:

>>I have posted photos of pierced coins and buttons found on sites in rural
North and South Carolina, on my web site at  <A
HREF="http://encore-net.com/diachronic/">Diachronic Encore</A>
(http:/encore-net.com/diachronic). Does anyone have any
thoughts? I am particularly curious about geographic and temporal ranges for
this phenomenon in the US.

This question deals with pierced coins, buttons and tokens used for
adornment.

In a related question, at Somerset Place Plantation, in Eastern NC, we found
about a dozen examples of metal buttons--the stamped back, gilt buttons
Stanley South called "type 18" and other  typical 18th and 19th century
buttons--which had been pierced two or four times. I called these "recycled
buttons,"  assuming they were pierced to allow them to be sewed on. However,
historic evidence tells us that a "John Canoe" festival was held at Somerset.
This festival calls for an elaborate costume of which shiny buttons could
easily be a part. I was wondering if anyone else working in areas where such
festivals took place had seen anything like these buttons

>>The John Canoe festival practiced in Eastern NC
is unique in North America, as far as I know. Anybody have any thoughts on
that?

Thanks, Carl Steen