Hello Rob
I don't think there is going to be a straightforward answer to your question!
According to Howard Ripley's book this pattern of button was used up until 1993 when the Regiment amalgamated to become The Queen's Royal Lancers.
His notes on the crowns/materials the button is found in state "Gilt and Brass, QVC and KC; Anodised, KC and QC" (the QVC obviously refers only to use by the 5th Royal Irish Lancers). The implication is that the button is NOT found in "Brass, QC", only in "Anodised QC". Of course, this may be an error and the button can be found in "Brass, QC"!
Unfortunately, just to confuse matters, the "16th/5th Lancers. QC" button is on the list of restrikes produced by Gaunt in the 1970s at the request of Doug Squires. Therein lies the conundrum, why restrike a button that would still have been in use at that time (ie 1970s) and why restrike it in a material that, apparently, it was never produced in (ie brass)?
Did Gaunt use an existing 'anodised button' die to restrike the button in brass as requested by Squires? Were they already producing (or had previously produced) the button in brass as a private purchase by officers and merely produced more to satisfy Squires? Had it been produced in brass earlier on and been superseded by anodised aluminium? We may never know.
Some of the 1970s restrikes are obvious - the wartime-raised cavalry regiments and the Irish regiments are glaring examples. Some are more difficult to be precise about. I think the best that can be said is that your button might be a 1970s restrike - unless someone else knows different!
Roger
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