Victorian light infantry horn ? Button

[Martyn123]

Good Afternoon

This is one of my black light infantry ? Buttons. Are these Victorian as it has a QVC crown? What is it made from, is it horn or some composit material?

Many thanks

Martyn

[Cribyn]

Hello Martyn

That design of button has been used at various times by the King's Royal Rifle Corps and the Rifle Brigade as well as being used as a general pattern for Rifle Volunteer units without their own design.

Given the age of your button, Victorian as you thought, it is most likely going to be horn. Composite materials didn't really come into general use until much later.

Roger

[Martyn123]

Many thanks Roger

That's really useful information and thank you for identifying possible users.

Regards and best wishes

Martyn

[fougasse1940]

Howard Ripley in his Buttons of the british army 1855-1970 book has this button as #565 The Rifle Brigade ( Prince Consort's Own), black horn button, 1881-1928.

Rgds, Thomas.

[Martyn123]

Many thanks Thomas. Would the presence of the QVC indicate a date prior to 1901 for this button or did they carry on using the crown until 1928? I presume that they used the same design in horn but changed the crown.

Many thanks

Martyn

[Cribyn]

Originally Posted by fougasse1940

Howard Ripley in his Buttons of the british army 1855-1970 book has this button as #565 The Rifle Brigade ( Prince Consort's Own), black horn button, 1881-1928.

Rgds, Thomas.

Yes it is but in his later book "Buttons of the Regular Army 1855-2000" it is shown as number 380, "King's Royal Rifle Corps, Other rank's black horn, QVC, KC and QC, 1872-1958 (1872-1939: also worn by The Rifle Brigade)".

The crown would have changed from QVC to KC when Edward VII came to the throne but the old QVC button would probably have remained in use for a few years. Any new production of buttons would then have used the KC.

Roger

[Martyn123]

Many thanks Roger. Interesting information. These horn buttons are quite common. Do you know how they were made? Were they pressed into a mould?

Many thanks

Martyn

[Peter Brydon]

I think there is/was something on Youtube showing how horn buttons were made. Worth a quick search.

P.B.

[David Tremain]

It looks exactly like one I have, so it's good to have the extra information from Ripley's other book.

David

[Martyn123]

Thanks Peter and David

I will look for the YouTube video. From what I can tell horn was ground up and mixed with adhesive and pressed in a mould but they may have done something totally different.

Regards

Martyn

[fougasse1940]

Originally Posted by Cribyn

Yes it is but in his later book "Buttons of the Regular Army 1855-2000" it is shown as number 380, "King's Royal Rifle Corps, Other rank's black horn, QVC, KC and QC, 1872-1958 (1872-1939: also worn by The Rifle Brigade)".

Thanks for that, made a note of it in my book.

Rgds, Thomas.

[leigh kitchen]

I discovered the hard way that you have to keep "bugs' away from horn buttons, a number that I'd kept in lofts & garages were ruined, holes were made in them & they were completely hollowed out empty shells.

[Martyn123]

I have a Royal Navy pre 1891 horn ratings which has been nibbled and has a hole in its rim

Martyn