{"product_id":"british-royal-navy-kings-crown-gilt-uniform-button-set-by-buttons-limited","title":"British Royal Navy King's Crown Gilt Uniform Button Set by Buttons Limited","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a matched group of five British naval uniform buttons displaying the King's Crown above the traditional Admiralty anchor, a design associated with Royal Navy uniform use during the first half of the twentieth century. Each button measures approximately 1 inch in diameter and the group remains together on an older collector's display card.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe buttons are of large, strongly convex two-piece construction with a gilt or gold-toned metal face and fixed wire loop shanks on the reverse. Each face is finely struck with a crowned anchor at center against a closely lined field. The anchor incorporates the characteristic horizontal stock and curved arms of the Admiralty pattern, while the substantial closed royal crown above identifies the insignia as a King's Crown type. A raised circular border and twisted-rope outer edge complete the distinctly naval design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe King's Crown, often referred to by collectors as the Tudor or Imperial Crown, was used on British military and naval insignia during the reigns of Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII and George VI. It was replaced by the Queen's Crown or St. Edward's Crown following the accession of Elizabeth II in 1952. The crown form therefore provides a broad pre-1952 dating framework, although the maker's marking permits the period to be narrowed somewhat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt least one button is clearly marked on the reverse \"BUTTONS LIMITED.\" Buttons Limited was a major Birmingham-area manufacturer of British military, naval and commercial uniform fittings established in the opening years of the twentieth century. The company name was formally in use by approximately 1909, establishing a practical earliest production date for buttons carrying this backmark. Taken together with the King's Crown device, the present group is consistent with British naval uniform production from approximately the 1910s through the early post-World War II period. The precise reign or date of manufacture cannot responsibly be determined from the surviving markings alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLarge gilt buttons of this general form were used on officers' and other prescribed naval uniforms, where the crowned anchor served as one of the most recognizable emblems of British maritime service. Uniform buttons were not merely functional fasteners. Their metal finish, dimensions and insignia formed an integral part of the highly regulated appearance of naval dress, particularly on formal blue uniforms and greatcoats.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBritain's Royal Navy remained one of the world's dominant maritime forces throughout the period represented by these buttons. During World War I it maintained the blockade of Germany and fought major fleet actions including the Battle of Jutland in 1916. The interwar period brought substantial organizational and technological change, followed by another enormous expansion during World War II. King's Crown naval insignia consequently spans one of the most historically significant periods in the history of the service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe five buttons present well as a coherent group. Their gilt surfaces retain considerable warm gold coloration with darker toning in the recessed areas that emphasizes the crown, anchor and rope-border detail. There is normal rubbing to the raised surfaces, scattered oxidation and minor age discoloration. The reverse of the examined example retains its wire shank and shows age patination while preserving a clearly legible \"BUTTONS LIMITED\" maker's mark. The remaining buttons likewise retain their attachment shanks and remain mounted to the old display card.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe survival of five matching large buttons together makes this group particularly useful for a naval uniform restoration, specialized British military button collection or display devoted to twentieth-century Royal Navy insignia. Their substantial one-inch size, strong crowned-anchor design and identifiable period manufacturer give the group considerably more collector interest than an isolated unmarked naval button.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Derrittmeister Militaria Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50583758012655,"sku":"15-773","price":95.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/9169\/5855\/files\/15-773_1.jpg?v=1787791002","url":"https:\/\/derrittmeister.com\/products\/british-royal-navy-kings-crown-gilt-uniform-button-set-by-buttons-limited","provider":"Derrittmeister Militaria Group","version":"1.0","type":"link"}