Hi there,
Not sure if you have managed to do any more research on this button. It was a quiet day at work yesterday so had a google.
The Backmark looks to be :
A . CRAIG & Co 104 SOUTH BRIDGE EDINBURGH
Having had a look on line, the Edinburgh directory for 1827-28
(
http://digital.nls.uk/directories/br...=transcription )
shows the following entry:
Craig, Alex, and Co. wholesale and retail cloth merchants, 104 South bridge
By 1857-58 (
http://digital.nls.uk/directories/br...=transcription )
this had become :
Craig, Alex, and Co. clothiers and hatters to the Queen, 103 & 104 South bridge
I am assuming the cipher/monogram is “EIP” – but the central “I” character could be another letter which has been ‘very’ stylised.
Anyway, like the others above I have assumed that the “E” stands for ‘Edinburgh’ and if if it is an “I” – then that could be ‘Institute’ or ‘Institution’– but I haven’t been able to identify any that have a ‘P’ at the end.
There is the Edinburgh Philosophical Institution from circa 1830 onwards – but it seems strange they would get the letters in the wrong order.
Though there is reference to :
THE PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTION EDINBURGH Reference Library
(
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...page&q&f=false )
So it may not too large a jump to go to Edinburgh Institution of Philosophy?
Well that is as far I have got.
Cheers
Ian