Essex Buttons
 

Hello Troops
I have been collecting for the last 30 years mainly to the Essex Regt, then on to all the Regiments that make up the Royal Anglian Regt. O.T.Cs, shoulders, collars, A/A and Yeomanry and a few buttons. I have started to collect the Essex Regt buttons. What I find interesting about buttons is a prolific amount of different manufactures. Can anybody tell me the difference between an Officers and other ranks buttons? I realise it could be Gilt or G/M but I do not want to clean the patina off to find out. Some dealers advertise Officers buttons but they all look the same. Just a hint, I use bobby pins to secure my badges etc onto card. They come in different lengths, The long ones are great for Helmet plates, medium ones for badges, shoulder titles and the small ones for buttons etc. They come in mixed packs or separate packs. They are easy to remove and replace.
Regards Terry

I thought that gilt was gold plating. Gold does not get a ‘patina’, brass does, silver does. Gold plate can be corroded off a base metal button if buried for years in the event ground chemicals or fertilizer gets into a scratch or cut on the button. DJ.

Hi terry, I have always thought if the shank is fixed, it’s an officers. Other ranks if not.

Its a complex subject.

There are lots of fixed shank other ranks buttons, but I don't recall seeing a drop shank button in Officers quality?

Officers often had to purchase their own insignia and it was up to them how much they paid and therefore the quality they received, also in some far corners of the world options were more limited. Also senior Warrant Officers were often allowed to upgrade to better quality.

This I would class as Officers quality, the rear construction is seamless.
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ctureid=170398

These I consider to be other ranks quality but they may at times have been worn by Officers?
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ctureid=161409

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ctureid=161405

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ctureid=170396

This one I can't decide?
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ctureid=168453

At what date did OR’s stop wearing regimental in favour of general service buttons. Anything after this ought to officers.

I’ve got hundreds but not one single example is gilt as found on cap badges, they’re all faded.

Hello D.J.
I used the term Gilt, as quite a few dealers use Gilt to describe Officers buttons.
I am a novice when it comes to buttons, but I think Andrew hit the nail on the head regarding fixed shanks for officers.
Thanks for all the replys.

To Keith, I never knew of O'Rs not wearing regimental buttons, When did this happen? .................. To Terry, there's always an exception to the rule, I just did a quick scan of my Regular Royal Artillery buttons (see my albums) and did find one Officer's gold plated button with a "drop shank" fixing loop. Regards, D.J.

Here are some Officers Gilt buttons I sold Recently
Malc

From R.J.Wilkinson-Latham - British Military Badges & Buttons. p62

...." other ranks of regular line regiments were issued in 1871 with a general service button that displayed the royal arms, regimental patterns being retained only by officers and NCO's until about 1924 when regimental buttons were again sanctioned for the rank and file."