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| Image 1 According to the seller, this is a ’13-star black glass and goldstone uniform button’. The stars are carved into the goldstone, the backing is brass with a self-shank. 5/8 of an inch in diameter HT& Sons, Birm. Button 112 |
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| Image 2 A fabric-covered button, marked Hammond Turner & Sons Elliott’s Patent. A high-court case dated 1st June 1843 mentions an indenture dated 22nd May 1841 giving HT&S the license to use Elliott’s patent method at Mr Hasluck’s premises in Summer Lane (or wherever) on payment of a royalty. The judge appears to have upheld Elliott’s petition to revoke the licence. All of which suggests that this button was made between May 1841 and May 1842. Backmark appears in backmarks gallery. Button 113 |
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| Image 3 Described by the seller as ‘gilt brass with an all-over wallpaper design’. In excellent condition. HT&S extra rich 7/8 of an inch in diameter Button 133 |
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| Image 4 Described by the seller as ‘blue and white marble swirl’. HT & Sons, Birm. 5/8 of and inch in diameter Button 134 |
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| Image 5 One button from a job-lot of six: described by the seller as goldstone with a brass back. HT & Sons, Birm. 5/8 of an inch in diameter Button 143 |
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| Image 6 A pair of bachelor’s buttons, so-called because they do not need a needle and thread to secure them to clothing! The fronts are decorated with a finely drawn bird on what was described by the seller as banded agate. The ‘hole’ in the centre of the disc on the right fits over the ‘rod’ in the centre of the mechanism and is released/secured with the small ‘knobs’ on either side. HT&S, West’s patent, and I think that’s a Lion Works lion at the top. Buttons 170 |
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| Image 7 This button does not belong to me but it is an historic item – the backmark is HT&S Paris. Confusingly, the small coat of arms at the top looks a lot like the ‘general service’ crest that appears on the front of so many British buttons. It’s a beautiful, dished button with a raised centre. |
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| Image 8 This button was donated to my collection by Manx metal detectorist Mark Leadley. Made using one-piece construction techniques, it was once a very fine gilded button. Hammond Turner & Dickinson Button 240 |
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| Image 9 A charming possibly oriental scene on a large, heavy one-piece button. Backmark T.W&W (for Trelon, Weldon & Weill) HM (I have no idea what that bit might stand for, apart from Heavy Metal, which it certainly is!) Paris . Brevete S.G D.G The last bit means that TWW took out a type of patent that ceased to exist in 1968, a Breveté Sans Garantie Du Gouvernement: Wikipedia says that the law of 1844 states that patents were issued “without prior examination, at the risk of the applicant and with no guarantee of function, novelty and merit of the invention also in terms of precision or accuracy of the description”. Button 195 |
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| Image 10 A smiling (but heavily scratched) Buddha, I think, on a one-piece. The background may have been black enamel with the raised spots standing proud of it. Backmark TW&W Rich silvered with two possibly entirely fictitious oriental logograms/characters Button 198 |
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| Image 11 A matching pair of ‘batchelor’s buttons’ Backmark of a lion at the top with HT&S half-hidden by the mechanism and West’s Patent below Buttons 199 |
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| Image 12 If you look closely at the graph paper, you can see that the button front view-on is much smaller than the rear-view one: the fronts are identical. Both are of one-piece construction. The larger button was made by CJ Weldon, 130 Cheapside. The other is unmarked. Buttons 196 |
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| Image 13 I believe this is simply an opalescent and opaque pearl button mounted in a domed metal ‘shell’ to give the appearance of something much richer. The delicate metal ‘thread’ running through the holes is a charming touch. Backmark HT&SONS BIRM Button 211 |
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| Image 14 A decorative ‘bachelor’s button’. The richly decorated front is almost certainly a standard design but the reverse has been personalised with the owner’s initials, FH. The backmark is obscured by the mechanism, but appears to be a rising sun above it, with TM (for trade mark, I assume) with W West below. Button 226 |
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| Image 15 This may be the young Queen Victoria, or it may be a fictitious regal figure. Two-piece construction. Hammond Turner & Sons Extra Quality Button 217 |
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| Image 16 These four buttons are made of a ‘brassy’ alloy inlaid with white enamel. Backmark is a minute HT&S Buttons 212 |
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| Image 17 A trio of highly decorative general service buttons, almost certainly not made for lowly but vital government servants but for public wear. The ‘gold’ coat of arms is raised above the plain black background. TW&W Paris Button 209 |
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| Image 18 Described by the seller as black glass with a milky white cloud effect, which does not show up clearly in these photos. The glass is flat-topped and stands proud of the decorative rim, which is very detailed. A bachelor’s button. HT&S West’s Patent with very clear lettering. The animal above is worn in the head area but is probably a lion as it appears to have a ‘tassel’ at the end of its tail. Button 221 |
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| Image 19 A blue glass button with a ‘goldstone’ stripe which appears to go right through the thickness of the glass. HT&S Birmingham Button 227 |