unidentified civilian uniform buttons

[btns]

153. monogram G.M.H., gilt 17 mm; b/m crossed <crossed swords> swords, Sword Make, Made in England (I think this is Carlyle, pre 1907 when they merged into Buttons Ltd)
155. KC and R.C.S., Gilt 22 and 16 mm; Gaunt, London
159. R.A.C. B, a blazer button to the Royal Armoured Corps, 14 mm, Pitt & Co ... London
160. a silver rose on a gilt button, 14 mm, Jennens London, <plumes>
161. a castle over old english letters W.I., the circle is a snake eating its tail, an ouroboros, white metal 26 mm (dug); backmark: Sherlock & Co, Covent Garden, 15 King Street

[btns]

and 5 more:

179. monogram B.C.M. in any order; brass 16 mm; Chamberlins Ld, Norwich (also as a Carlyle backmark - see previous message)
192. L.L.N., chromed 17 mm; backmark Firmin, London
193. letter R and a large flask; gilt 15 mm; no backmark; listed in the IUCC documentation.
195. coat of arms with crowned, double headed eagle; bronzed 19 mm; London Badge & Button
214. monogram I.G. or G.I., Gilt 26 and 16 mm; b/m: Chamberlins Ld, Norwich - he was an heraldic engraver

[runic1901]

Motif on Btn 50 seems to be a rudimentary 'rising sun', as used on early P&O shipping line items, and Australian army.
Could TP be a colonial police force?

[btns]

Originally Posted by runic1901

Motif on Btn 50 seems to be a rudimentary 'rising sun', as used on early P&O shipping line items, and Australian army.
Could TP be a colonial police force?

Thank you for your reply.
The upper part of button 50 does have the symbolism of a rising sun. The full object would be a central circular body with a ribbed eight-pointed star.
I listed it as a ball button, but it is actually a 3/4 ball.
A police button comes to mind. It has been an unsolved puzzle for years.

[btns]

Here are 5 more unknown buttons ...

222. old english letters O.S. in a French circle and dot. silver 16 mm; itsbackmark is a number: 26. The 'damage' must have been in the die.
224. naval crown and bird, modern button (etching?/laser?), G14 mm, b/m Gaunt London
225. monogram A.W. or W.A., chrome 25 mm, backmark: 4 stars
226. winged wheel, mounted gilt 13 mm, backmark: Imperial, London
227. boy with sword, cap and cape (Peter Pan?), gilt 20 mm, no backmark

[leigh kitchen]

No. 227 - Highlander in kilt and sporran, hose, plaid over shoulder, armed with basket hilt claymore rather than a Peter Pan type?

[btns]

This is the final lot of this series.
230. double headed eagle, silver 19 mm, no backmark
231. coat of arms of Manchester, letters M.C.C., gilt 27 mm, b/m: Firmin, London
232. a cross with flames at leg's ends, civic?, Chrome 17 mm, b/m: Firmin, London
233. monogram S.L.E.A.(?), gilt 16 mm, C. & J. Weldon, London
C052. coat of arms over scroll "Dum Defluat Amnis", gilt 21 mm, b/m Firmin, London (I think it is a city coat of arms, possibly commonwealth)

Thank you for reading my series of unidentified buttons. I appreciate your contributions.

Would you like another series of unidentified buttons?

[btns]

Unidentified button 28 has now been confirmed as (City of) Oxford Motor Services.

[4966Ian]

Hi All,

With regards to Button 159. - Crown over "R.A.C. / B".

This is a Hunt Button to the Royal Agricultural College (Beagles) [circa 1889-1914 & 1923-1939 & 1945-Current]. It is one of six different patterns/Designs used which featured different styles/fonts for the letters.
See Neil McShanes book on Hunt Buttons - Page 323.

The Royal Agricultural College Pack was established in 1889. It was dispersed in 1914 and reformed after WW1 in 1923. On the outbreak of WW2 it was lent to the 1st Gloucestershire Hussars but was ultimately put down. It was reformed yet again in 1945.

Cheers

Ian

[dragon166]

224 Suggest RNAS Blazer button

[btns]

Originally Posted by 4966Ian

Hi All,

With regards to Button 159. - Crown over "R.A.C. / B".

This is a Hunt Button to the Royal Agricultural College (Beagles) [circa 1889-1914 & 1923-1939 & 1945-Current]. It is one of six different patterns/Designs used which featured different styles/fonts for the letters.
See Neil McShanes book on Hunt Buttons - Page 323.

The Royal Agricultural College Pack was established in 1889. It was dispersed in 1914 and reformed after WW1 in 1923. On the outbreak of WW2 it was lent to the 1st Gloucestershire Hussars but was ultimately put down. It was reformed yet again in 1945.

Cheers

Ian

Dear Ian,
Thank you very much. I have the book, but never found it.
best regards,

[btns]

Originally Posted by dragon166

224 Suggest RNAS Blazer button

I think you are right.

Such buttons may have been made in the 1980s, before Gaunt was absorbed by Firmin. (unless Firmin continued making Gaunt buttons until they forgot to renew the company's registration)
This link suggests blazer badges were available until recently.
http://www.britishmilitarybadges.co....zer-badge.html

Henry Allingham (1896-2009) was the last RNAS veteran.

Could this button be an original veteran button or a button for the fashion industry (or both)?

[4966Ian]

Hi Again,

Sorry, it has taken a while to go through all the pictures. Thanks for showing them, and putting the sizes and backmarks. As it will make future reference so much easier and useful.

With regards to Button 62 - Bottom of Page 1.

62. H.A.C. and KC; gilt 19 mm, could this be Honourable Artillery Company?; Firmin, London

This button is shown in Norman Litchfield's book on Royal Artillery Buttons.
See Page 25 - The Honourable Artillery Company.
It shows exactly the same crown which it calls a 'high arched crown (Victorian)' .

However, that is where the good news stops as it says:

"Exactly who wore this button and when is not known - being in gilt and brass it is possible they were worn by the Artillery Division at some time. The back mark on the officer’s button “J. BIDEN, 46 Cheapside” suggests it was in use prior to 1840. The other rank’s version with the backmark ”Firmin, London” indicates that it was also in use at a much later date."


So I am afraid it is a sort of a good news - bad news answer.

All the best

Ian

[GTB]

One must bear in mind that RNAS had a Royal Crown above eagle. I think Fleet Air Arm squadrons would be a good contender


GTB

[4966Ian]

Hi Again,

With regards Button 17 in Post #3 (1st Page)

17. monogram letters L.C., silver plated 17 mm, no backmark .

I think it maybe for 'Lowther College".
Having searched on-line, I am assuming it is this Girls College -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowther_College

I found this (see picture below) in a Book called "Scholastic Arms " by G.K. Beaulah published 1936.
There looks to have been quite a few late additions to the book as it says 'Prints added to this collection subsequently are not described among the blazons' - and this is unfortunately, one such late addition.

However, when I have looked on line, this is not the crest of the school - as that is a 'very busy/intricate' design - see here:
https://amounderness.co.uk/lowther_college,_lytham.html

Of course, for a relatively small college, it may have been easier/cheaper to go for the fairly simple "LC" design on buttons instead of trying to replicate the school's crest.

Btns - I hope you don't mind, I have copied your original button into this post to make it easier to compare the two side by side.

All the best

Ian