[Ads-l] Antedating "U.S."

[Peter Reitan]

There is a runaway slave ad in an 1886 newspaper describing the coat worn by the subject of the ad as having metal buttons stamped USA.

I guessed they would have been old military buttons. I searched on ebay, and there is currently a button described as a Revolutionary War button for sale for nearly $1000, with USA stamped into it, presumably United States Army.

Can't vouch for the proper description, but it is consistent with buttons described in 1786.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Authentic-and-Rare-Revolutionary-War-USA-Button-L-K/193474959125?hash=item2d0c019715:g:TgcAAOSwRWtdGSAN
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From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2021 6:32:22 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Antedating "U.S."

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Here's another good one:

1792 _Wood's Newark [N.J.] Gazette_ (June 21) 4: Approved May 8, 1792 / G.
WASHINGTON / President of the U.S.

JL

On Tue, Jan 12, 2021 at 4:54 PM Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>
wrote:

> Wondering if either of you, or anyone else to hand, has antedates for
> U.S.A., which the OED conflates with U.S. but provides no instances of.
> Presumably they have no cites prior to 1834 or they=E2=80=99d have listed=
 them.
> Just curious what the time lag was between U.S. and U.S.A., I=E2=80=99m g=
uessing
> with the former at least somewhat earlier (especially since military
> contexts might be absent).
>
> LH (please excuse duplicate messages--having mailer problems)
> LH
>
> On Jan 12, 2021, at 3:22 PM, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU> wrote:
>
> Great work, Jon !  Here's a slightly earlier citation:
>
> 1787 _Pittsburgh Gazette_ 3 Mar. 4/1 (America's Historical Newspapers)  W=
.
> FINNEY, Capt. first U. S. Reg.
> NOTE:  This occurs in a notice dated 1786.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2021 2:21 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Antedating "U.S."
>
> OED: 1834
>
> 1788 _Kentucky Gazette_ (Lexington) (Oct. 11) 1: Capt. 1st U.S. Reg.
>
> 1790 _Pennsylvania Packet_ (Phila.) (Apr. 26) 3: The bill for regulating
> the military establishment of the U.S.
>
> 1791 _Aurora General Advertiser_ (Phila.) (Dec. 6) 4: Constitution of the
> U.States....Laws of the U.S.
>
> 1797 _Hartford Courant_ (Sept. 11) 1: The part...will be lost by a divisi=
on
> of the U.S.
>
> 1798  _Spooner's Vermont Journal_ (Windsor, Vt.) (July 17) 2: It will be
> proper to take into view the public audiance [sic] given to the late
> Minister of the U.S. on his taking leave of the executive directory.
>
> 1807 _Public Advertiser_ (NYC) (Jan. 20) 2:  In the House of
> Representatives of the U. States, on Thursday, Jan. 15, the bill providin=
g
> for the punishment of certain crimes against the U.S. was read the third
> time and passed without a division.
>
> JL
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth=
."
>
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