>
 
The British

Button Society
    Welcome Join us Events Speakers Articles Links
 
 

Button identification
 

This page is part of an on-going project to help button enthusiasts identify buttons.

Members are welcome to submit images of buttons for identification. The request will be forwarded to our panel of experts, and any viewer is invited to respond. Responses will be added to this page as appropriate. Please submit images for identification, and comments on any of the existing images, to BBS member Jenny. Please include your BBS membership number in any correspondence.

Click on any small image below for a larger size if it is available.

See also earlier entries.
  Image Request Replies
39 From Sandra member No 1741:
Please help to identify this button.
It is very thin, measuring only 1 mm. and I bought it from an Antiques fair, where the seller had no idea as to its identity.
Thank you.
 
38

From Grant, member No 1368:
This button has an eight pointed star, Georgian crown, bugle and motto 'Honi Soit Qui Mal y Pense' surrounding a rose. It is Gilt, open back, 16mm diameter, with a back mark of C Jennens London and the Prince of Wales feathers - I have no idea by who or when it was worn.

From Dixon
This button pertains to the Light Infantry Company of the North Hampshire Militia, c1816-1820. The North Hampshire Militia changed to this pattern c1816, following the long usage of the crown over a very small rose over script 'NH'. The back mark structure runs fully from c1808-1834, but as the button is still open back it can be dated to c 1820/21 only. The feature of the Light Companies having distinctive buttons, appears to cease around 1820. Shoulder belt plate and shako plate distinctions did continue until 1855.
37 From Grant, member No 1368:
This button has the Imperial crown, wreath of thistles and star. It is good quality Gilt, closed back, 26mm diameter, with a back mark of Firmin & Sons London - I am led to believe that it was worn by the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), maybe a Mess Waiters button, but this has not been confirmed nor the time span for which it was worn.
 
36 From Grant, member No 1368:
This button has a Victorian crown and 'WY' below. It is Gilt, open back, 14mm diameter, with no back mark - Could this have been worn by the Warwickshire Yeomanry, however, their early buttons had the letters 'WY' in Old English, could this be another pattern, if so what time span.
 
35

From Sergeant Nikki Randall.

Please help the Canadian Police with a murder investigation. This button was found near a body.

 
34

From Richard member 1346
I welcome help in IDing this button. It is white metal, Victorian crown, 20mm diameter, Maker: Hobson and Sons Lexington St. London. Letters N C to centre, scalloped type pattern on circumference.

From Denis, 20.03.10

Natal Carabiniers


33 [No text yet]

From Rex:

This is the livery of Airey of Oakwood Grange, Leeds.

32

From John 14.07.09

Please could you identify this button, found in my garden. I think that it belonged to a Naval Captain who lived in our cottage in 1851.
The backmark is Harisson & Smith Ltd, Birmingham. John.

From Jan:

This is a 20th century GPO button worn by Post Office workers made in both metal and horn.

31

From Graham 02.06.09:

Please could someone put a name to this button which I believe is a Volunteer Regiment button circa 1800.
Thank you.

From Dixon:

This pertains to the Ouse & Derwent Volunteer Infantry, an East Riding of Yorkshire corps of 6 Companies numbering 360 men. Raised 5 September 1803 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Commandant Richard Thompson, by 1807 the command had devolved upon Sir Thomas Clarges, Baronet. The corps appear to have remained independent of the Local Militia Act of 1808, and either served on without allowances until 1814, or opted for disbandment.

30

From Ian D 21.05.09

This is one button that is eluding my father’s identification. It was made in India by J.H.Johnson of Aligarh, UP. Any help would be appreciated.

From Ian S 14.09.09

Suma Valley Light Horse

29 From Geoff, USA 16.5.09

I would be grateful if anyone could identify this button. The back mark is “CROSS & MORGAN PLYMOUTH”

From Ian S 14.09.09

First City of London Engineer Volunteers

28

From Daryl Adams 4.5.09

have 2 buttons I cannot identify. Could you please help me with an ID and maybe a time period when they were used? Thank you.

From Ian S 14.09.09

Standard pattern German Infantry WW1
Other is either French or Belgian Army (various units used the flaming grenade design) probably WW1 period.

27

From Paul Cleaver 10.10.09

I found this button with my metal detector - Its a bit unusual though not of great age

Its made of a very light alloy.

Can you idenify it for me.


From Jan:

This is an aluminium dress button possibly 1960s. Many different designs were made, some of them looked armorial, others had castles, boats etc.

26  

From Chris Etherington 15.11.08:

This button was recently dug up in the grounds of a former workhouse in West Dorset. It measures 2.5cms in diameter and is copper. Any ideas, please?

From Ian S 14.09.09

Stock pattern letter button . This design used by many organisations mid 19th century onwards.

25 From Joe Rayner 14.11.08:

I found this button on farmland while metal detecting. It is about 1 ¼ inches and made of bronze alloy.
Can anyone date this button and explain the picture on the front. Thank you.
 
24

From Russell 10.11.2008:

This button was detected in Warwickshire. It is 18mm diameter. Any ideas on who Henry Tuthil was?

 
23

From Gerard, Netherlands 02:09:08

Can you please help with the identification of this rather odd button. It has 42 on it. It was found in Dutch fields together with many English buttons (livery, military, ca. 1860).
It is made of brass, 18 mm, cast with a staff type shank with drilled hole.

 
22

From Alison and Michael 15.08.08:

Please could you help with ID of the “Roman” button found in our garden.

From Jenny :
Sadly, it is not a button from the Roman period. I would date it to late 19th/20th century. A lot of buttons were made depicting classical figures. Jenny
21

From Ashley 06.08.08:

The following are allegedly transport buttons, and came together with a lot of other transport/tramway buttons. Any chance you could pass these around your experts to see if we can get an identification?

 
  Earlier items here.

  
Comments from users of the page

Wow !! I'm impressed. The button belongs to a guy at work who found it and asked me to investigate it. Odd things often come my way to be identified, will be keeping your web page handy as I'm likely to need it again
Many thanks for your help, Mary-Jane

I would like to say what a useful web site you have. Dave


         
 
 
E-mail us
page hits
Copyright © Eric Foxley
who runs the Dunkirk Arts centre
Larger
font
Updated 11-Jul-2010
Click here for button images by Jenny & Eric
Eric also manages web sites for
Chaturangan, Foresters, Freds Folks, Greenwood, Grant Publisher, King Billy Sessions, Young Folk and the Dunkirk Arts Centre.
Smaller
font