Hello
I agree the RDF is 100% restrike but I am not so sure about the 9th Lancers with Queen's crown. Personally I can see no reason (commercial or otherwise)to restrike a button that had only recently been superseded and could probably be found in abundance in stores somewhere.
As I see it, the 'Gaunt London' backmark, clearly stamped, can be found on the back of many genuine buttons, anodised and gilt or brass, produced from about the late 1940s/early 1950s right up until the time Gaunts were taken over in 1991 (I think).
The backmark with the 'G' and 'T' badly struck and buttons with a greenish back all appear to be much later issue (possibly 1960s/1970s). Provided the buttons in question are of the right period then they could all be genuine original issue (for want of a better term) rather than restrikes.
What I mean is that a First World War period button with a 'Gaunt London' backmark is an obvious restrike (Royal Dublin Fusiliers, for example). A Second World War period button with a 'Gaunt London' backmark is also an obvious restrike (27th Lancers, for example). In both these examples the restrike is obvious because Gaunt did not use that backmark at those times.
However, Gaunt clearly did produce Queen's crown buttons with 'Gaunt London' and as part of their normal production it is quite possible that those buttons were produced with a greenish back and/or the badly struck 'G' and 'T'.
The fact that they produced restrike buttons at roughly the same time (ie late 1960s/early 1970s) with the same backmarks does not, in my view, mean that ALL those buttons with the problematic 'G' and 'T' and greenish back are restrikes. I think Rob's Royal Horse Guards button in post 17 is a perfectly genuine button produced late 1960s. GTB's 9th Lancers button could fall into the same category.
As David said in an earlier post, this is probably going to be one of those issues when we will have to agree to disagree! However, we do all seem to agree that 'Gaunt London' was used as early as the late 1940s'/early 1950s and that is progress!
Roger
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