[Donny B.]

These are police buttons rather than military buttons but I expect there should be a cross over of the back mark details.

I have tried to do a search of the "crossed swords" trade mark and keep coming up with the fact that it was the mark of Buttons Ltd, an amalgamation of several button manufacturers on 1907.

This is a bit confusing because I am sure that the crown on one of the buttons is a Victorian crown which would indicate probable use well before 1907. One of the sites I googled, one that mentioned Buttons Ltd, also had the notation "Ref Thomas Carlysle". I can not find out much about Thomas Carlysle other than he was around in 1875.

Can anyone tell me if the crossed swords was perhaps the trade mark of Thomas Carlysle and was carried forward as the mark for Buttons Ltd after the amalgamation came into effect. Any other clarification of the trade mark that would help in dating my buttons would be appreciated.

In the meantime I am presuming that one of my buttons is a V Crown by Thomas Carlysle from before 1901 and the other a K Crown by Thomas Carlysle possibly from before the amalgamation in 1907

All help appreciated

I Man