I think it is likely to be a wolf's head, not a griffin's. The Wolf's Head was a Gaunt trademark. It is included in a J R Gaunt & Son letterhead that was reproduced in "Button Lines" (the journal of The British Button Society), Issue 79, June 1994. The letterhead is undated, but it shows Gaunts' first Warstone Parade factory, that burned down in 1912, as well as two other Gaunt trademarks, that were Thurkle trademarks originally; Gaunts took over Edward Thurkle (sword cutler etc.) in 1899.
I do not know whether Gaunt's were granted the Wolf's Head trademark themselves, or whether it was another of Thurkle's marks. Gaunts were certainly using it by 1902, as it is part of the backmark on a US Infantry Officers button, 1851-1902 pattern, in my collection. The backmark includes the words "BEST QUALITY LONDON", but not Gaunt's name or initials. Another button in my collection has a plain front, while the back shows the Wolf's Head and "EXTRA QUALITY J R G".
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