BUTTONS
BRITISH MILITARY
The largest database of early British Military Buttons
Contact us by email: britishmilitarybuttons@gmail.com​
This is the newest section of this website that was originally outside of the sphere we set ourselves. However such are quality of some newly discovered regular units buttons that we have decided to record the lesser known or unrecorded types here.
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This is not aimed to be definitive but does now represent a very good selection of pre 1855 Regular units. If you find or have an early one not shown here please do send it in as there are many known types not recorded here and of course new ones are showing up all the time. Post 1855 tunic buttons are not recorded here as by that point issues were far more regulated and the excellent works by Howard Ripley cover them in more detail than we could ever hope to. For earlier items Major Parkyn's work remains the definitive but with the ever improving technology that means more are being found by metal detectorists every year, we hope he would appreciate our efforts to build upon and 'keep updated' his work.
Emigre Units-
Kings German Legion (2nd)​
Ref No: 362- ​
Image Source: Will Helms
​Notes: A German find of the 2nd KGL who were formed in 1805.
​​​Description: ​​​Letters KGL with 2 below all underneath crown
Category:​​British Army​ ​
Type of button: Convex ​; ​
Metal: Copper Alloy gilded 18mm. Backmark:None ​;
Date: ​1805-1812.​​
Kings German Legion (5th)​
Ref No: 341- ​
Image Source: Will Helms
​Notes: A German find of the 5th KGL who were formed in 1805 and served in Ireland, Portugal and Spain before nearly being wiped out as part of Wellington's army at Waterloo in 1815, they were disbanded the following year.
​​​Description: ​​​Letters KGL with 5 below all underneath crown
Category:​​British Army​ ​
Type of button: Convex ​; ​
Metal: Copper Alloy gilded 18mm. Backmark:​;
Date: ​1805-1816.​​
Kings German Legion
Ref No: 648 ​
Image Source: DP
​Notes: ​Believed to be the first example to the KGL probably worn by General Staff of the KGL .
​​​Description: KGNS under crown.
Category:​​​ Regular Army; ​
Type of button: Flat 14mm ​; ​
Metal: Copper Alloy silvered; Backmark​: None
​Date​: 1803-1804 ​
Kings German Legion (2nd LI)
Ref No: 649 ​
Image Source: DP
​Notes: ​An example to the KGL's 2nd Light Infantry that can also be found in pewter.
​​​Description: KINGS GERMANS around hunting bugle with 2 in centre.
Category:​​​ Regular Army; ​
Type of button: Convex 19mm ​; ​
Metal: Copper Alloy silvered; Backmark​: None
​Date​: 1804-1816 ​
Kings German Legion (6th)​
Ref No: 651- ​
Image Source: Alan Standish
​Notes: A UK find to the 6th Kings German Legion who were formed in 1805.
​​​Description: ​​​Letters KGL with 6 below all underneath crown
Category:​​British Army​ ​
Type of button: Flat ​; ​
Metal: Copper Alloy gilded. Backmark:​;
Date: ​1805-1816.​​
Kings German Legion LD
Ref No: 650 ​
Image Source: DP
​Notes: ​An example to the KGL Light Dragoons that can also be found in gilt.
​​​Description: K over GL.
Category:​​​ Regular Army; ​
Type of button: Convex 10mm ​; ​
Metal: Copper Alloy silvered; Backmark​: None
​Date​: 1804-1816 ​
Kings German Legion​
Ref No: 106- ​
Image Source: UK Detectornet
​Notes: King's German Legion was formed from expatriate German personnel in 1803 and were disbanded in 1816 and were the only German unit to fight without interruption against the French in the Napoleonic Wars. This style of button is most likely that used by the two regiments of (heavy) Dragoons. That of the Light Dragoons is different.​.
​​​Description: ​​​Letters KG and L below crown
Category:​​British Army​ ​
Type of button: Convex ​; ​
Metal: Copper Alloy gilded. Backmark:​;
Date: ​1803-1816.​​​
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