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Old 03-10-17, 08:25 PM
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Cribyn Cribyn is offline
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Location: Carmarthenshire, Wales
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Hello Rob

I have had a couple of buttons with the same backmark and I have always believed it to be an early mark for Smith & Wright, used shortly if not immediately after Kemp left the business in the mid 1860s I believe.

Not sure why the initials should be back to front unless it was simply an engraver's error! It wouldn't be the first time that this sort of thing happened.

When the firm was trading as Smith, Kemp and Wright they did use their full name as a backmark 'Smith Kemp & Wright Birmingham' (or similar).

If your 'butterfly' button was by Smith, Kemp & Wright I'm not sure why there would have been no mention of Kemp on the back (assuming the 'S' and 'W' does stand for Smith and Wright!). Kemp was, after all, a founder member of the company and Wright a relative latecomer, only becoming a partner in 1850.

I would agree that the button is most likely 1860s.

Roger
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