Q: I live on an old farm in a 1914 – 1920 Sears Craftsman bungalow. I bought a metal detector and came across a fob or bronze medal buried behind the house. It has “Button Company of St. Louis” on the back and a picture of a woman crowning a kneeling athlete. I think it might be from the 1904 World’s Fair. Can you tell me what it is and what it’s worth?

A: The St. Louis Button Co. was in business from 1893 until at least 1948. It was one of the most well-known pinback button manufacturers. The company made buttons and medals for political candidates and campaigns, sports teams and events, clubs, advertising and other purposes. Your medal, picturing an athlete, is probably a souvenir of the 1904 Summer Olympics, which were held in St. Louis in conjunction with the Louisiana Purchases Exposition, also called the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. The Exposition ran from April 30 to December 1, 1904. The Olympics (Games of the III Olympiad) were held from July 1 to November 23, 1904, although most events ran from August 29 until September 3. One of the events was a tug of war.