Two interesting Sea Faring buttons

[irish]

While out with my wife yesterday at an antique shop these were found. Not a button collector per se but always find myself fingering through boxes of buttons when seen. These two caught my eye among many common non military items. the two may be related to a common owner or shear coincidence.

First is the Pacific Steam Navigation Co. From a quick search it appears they had a Royal Mail contract for the Pacific Coast of South America. Unsure if the Victorian crown dates this? Or was it part of the company crest irregardless of era. Looks older to me. A very fine maker mark to reverse in Liverpool which was one of the companies ports.

Second is an early Hapag Line button. Reverse shank missing. No maker mark but looks older also.

[Phil2M]

Second one is hamberg america line (hapag), part of the group of shipping lines that merged to form Hapag-Lloyd. Its a german company. 1912 - 1969, I would go with the earlier period too.

Phil

[Phil2M]

Just had a quick look at the first button and it would appear that the crown dates the button.

[btns]

Your Hapag button is for an engineer, or more accurate for his sweetheart.
The small base is for a hatpin.

[rexb]

As to the first button, Rayner combined with two other firms in 1914, becoming Miller, Rayner & Haysom. Pacific SN Co. buttons with a Miller, Rayner & Hayson also have a similar "Victorian" crown. Shipping lines using a crown in their button design appear to have pleased themselves as to whether or not they changed the crown after 1901.
Rex

[btns]

Kelly's Directory (1894) lists
- Rayner, J.J. & Sons, Naval Outfitters, clothiers & Contractors, 24 Lord Street & 51, 53 & 54 Regent Road, T.A. "Outfits, Liverpool", Tn 5260

I do not know when Rayner became Rayner & Sons.

[rexb]

Neither do I, though still listed as John James Rayner, tailor, 51, 53 & 54 Regent Road in Kelly’s Directory of Liverpool 1881.
Rex

[carl pierce]

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/.../7138/data.pdf

and an advertisment for the amalgamated company

file:///C:/Users/Andrew/Pictures/GIPE-007567-Contents%20(2).pdf

its no 35 of 82

http://www.mocavo.co.uk/The-County-F...-59/899441/661

the third link tells you in 1916 why th company changed names again , (scroll down to g haysom)

[kingsman64]

Interesting thread

my Grandfather worked for PSNC for 36 years and took me into "the office" one Sunday morning (much to grandma's disgust) to prepare some documents for a vessel sailing on the next high tide.

30 James Street, formerly known as Albion House, was designed by Richard Norman Shaw and J. Francis Doyle. The iconic building was constructed between 1896 to 1898, and is located on the corner of James Street and The Strand, opposite the famous Pier Head.

The entrance was very grand but the shipping clerks offices quite dark and austere, very stuffy. Granddad told me that the clerks had to wear a three piece suit, collar and tie even in the height of Summer. The office manager would look out of the windows onto Liverpool's Dock Road for a Dock Police Officer to see what uniform was being worn, if the temperature outside was sufficiently hot he would declare "Gentlemen the dock Police are in shirt sleeve order you may remove your jackets"!

Prior to the building at 30 James Street Liverpool being the regional office of PSNC it had been the White Star Line Head Office. Now a luxury Titanic themed hotel I recently visited for a family Wedding Reception and enjoyed sipping cocktails on the roof top terrace with panoramic views of the dock basin and thoughts of my Sunday Morning visit 50 years ago with Granddad.

http://rmstitanichotel.co.uk/

Paul