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#1
08-12-15, 09:57 AM
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3 buttons to ID
Can anybody in the forum give me the earliest dates that the rifle regiments wore these buttons.
Regards Garry 
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#2
08-12-15, 11:47 AM
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Hello Garry
Your first button on the left was used by a number of units, not all "Rifles Regiments" - the 3rd West York Militia and also the 4th Royal Lancashire Militia used a very similar style of button. Some of the West Riding of Yorkshire Rifle Volunteers used a similar pattern, so trying to ascribe a certain unit and thus a certain time period to this particular button would be difficult. Your other two buttons appear to be the general pattern of button used by many Rifle Volunteer and possibly other units as well. If all the buttons relate to Rifle Volunteers then they would date at the earliest from about 1859 when the Rifle Volunteer movement began. If Militia they could well date back earlier but without seeing the back of the button it is not possible to give a more precise date. Judging from the photos I do not think that any of these buttons were worn by regular Rifle Regiments. Hopefully someone else may come forward if there is any further information. Regards Roger
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#3
08-12-15, 12:21 PM
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Hi Chaps
Just to add to what Roger has said, assuming they are all tunic buttons, they are almost certainly all Rifle Volunteer buttons. The first one is probably the pattern worn by a few West Riding Corps, the tunic buttons worn by the Lancashire Corps & Militia which Roger mentioned had rims. However, if it is actually a coatee button then it could be from the West York or Lancashire Militia Regts which Roger mentions and obviously from an earlier date. The second two are generic patterns worn by Corps which didn't have their own individual buttons. The third one would probably have been blackened originally, for some reason they often turn up with the black finish polished off. As Roger says, being Rifle Vol buttons they would date from late 1850's at the earliest. David Last edited by davidwyke; 08-12-15 at 01:10 PM.
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#4
08-12-15, 01:09 PM
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Hello David
I wasn't sure whether the first button was for the coatee or tunic, so hedged my bets by including everything I could think of! A quick measurement would resolve that issue and photos of the back , if possible, might clear up a few things as well. Regards Roger
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#6
09-12-15, 03:55 PM
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Thanks for the info chaps,much appreciated. I have photographed the back, the one on the left I would say is an officers, as it looks like it is silvered it is 23mm.The one in the middle is 20mm the wording at the back is faded it is Hobson And sons Lexington. the button on the right is also 20mm.
Many thanks Garry.
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#7
09-12-15, 05:00 PM
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Hi Garry
Looking at the front and back of the buttons, I would stick pretty much to my previous post; I think they are all tunic buttons , despite the second two being "medium size". So, I would say: 1 - Officers - one of several West Riding (Yorkshire) Rifle Vol Corps which used this same pattern - 1859 - 1880's. 2 - O/R's - generic pattern for rifle volunteers although the backmark dates it from the late 1880's onwards which is beyond the era of most Rifle Volunteer buttons but not all. It could be Colonial. 3 - O/R's - generic pattern for Rifle Vols from late 1850's - 1870's. Firmins began adding "LD" to their backmarks from the mid 1870.s but backmarks with and without this seem to have been used in tandem for several years at least. This one was probably blackened brass originally. I have a few which have been polished back to brass. Perhaps some units liked to have shiny "gold" buttons rather than blackened buttons. The above are my opinions anyway - Roger or someone else might come along and beg to differ! David
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#8
09-12-15, 05:12 PM
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Hello David
I'm sorry to say I agree with you entirely!! Possible candidate(s) for the first button might be the West Riding of Yorkshire Rifle Volunteers - Howard Ripley shows the same pattern being used by the 34th (Saddleworth) Corps and the 35th (Airedale) Corps, the former recorded as black metal, the latter as being in silver. Obviously there may well be variations and other users. A very nice button whichever unit used it! Regards Roger
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#10
09-12-15, 05:22 PM
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Quote:
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#11
10-12-15, 02:11 PM
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David/Crybyn, I think you hit the nail on the head with the 2nd button.I reside in Cape Town so it is really possible that it is Colonial as there was a few volunteer units around at that time they were involved in the Basuto and Zulu wars 1870s 1880s
I am looking forward to posting more buttons for the forum to date. Thanks again Garry.
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#12
10-12-15, 05:05 PM
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Hi Garry
Pleased to be of help. I have an identical button to "2" and was puzzled by the late date of manufacture and thought it may well be "Colonial" so maybe it is from SA. Incidentally, there is a slight possibility that the 3rd button could also be Colonial although there are a lot of identical buttons around over here. David
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#13
11-12-15, 04:56 AM
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Hi Garry,
The middle button in whte metal was worn by the DEOVR from c. 1885 to somewhere in the 1890's when they got there own distinct pattern. I agree that the brass one would have been blackened and also possibly used by one of the local units here. I suspect something along the lines of rifle regiment units of the Eastern Cape. Steven
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#14
11-12-15, 03:50 PM
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Hi Steven, After David saying it was possibly Colonial, I thought it might have been Cape Mounted Rifles.I also have a silver plated one the same size and back plate as no 2. as from today they now have a home in my DEOVR badge collection.
Thanks again Garry.
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