A few years ago, I visited the Firmin factory, with the Birmingham branch of The British Button Society. Their die-cutter mentioned making replicas and restrikes, and showed me a restruck 19th century shoulder belt plate, that was on his bench. I asked if it was identified as a restrike in any way. He turned it over, and pointed to a letter 'R' on the back; it was about an inch high, perhaps a little less.
At the time of our visit, we knew Firmins had stopped making buttons backmarked with the names of some of the firms with whom they had amalgamated, and I asked another member of their staff when this was. He replied that it was "about 1993". Smith & Wright was one of the names he mentioned as having been used as a backmark up until that time, another was Dowler. Since then, I have obtained a Sealed Pattern Sovereign Base Area Cyprus Personnel button, Date of Sealing 12/9/94, backmarked "DOWLER BIRMINGHAM", so the off the cuff "about 1993" may have been a little early.
Rex
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