Material: Gilt brass with lined background and rope-edged border
Size: 23mm
Description: This nautical uniform button is die-struck from a robust brass or copper alloy with a rich, reflective gilded finish. The primary visual motif displays a prominent fouled anchor detailed with a thick, twisted rope cable that loops gracefully through the upper ring and winds tightly around the central shank and lower right fluke. The anchor is set against a finely textured, horizontally lined circular field that reflects light brilliantly, all enclosed by a dual-border frame consisting of a clean inner ring and a thick, stylized twisted-rope outer rim. The surface shows minimal handling friction across the highest points.
Reverse: The reverse of this maritime uniform button displays a classic two-piece metal construction featuring a solid brass backplate neatly bound inside the rolled outer rim of the gilded front shell. A robust, centrally positioned brass wire attachment shank remains perfectly intact, showing a strong brazed joint that acts as the primary structural anchor point for garment threads. Stamped deeply into the metal alloy in a wide circular configuration is the clear, prominent manufacturer mark reading "HOORICKX • ANTWERP •".
Circa: 1900-1950
Notes:
This specific button served as standard dress uniform hardware for officers in the Belgian Merchant Navy (Marine Marchande Belge) rather than the primary combat fleet, which typically incorporated a royal crown or distinct state lion emblem above the anchor stock. The reverse manufacturer mark tracks directly to Hooricx, a highly regarded military and maritime outfitting establishment located in the historic port city of Antwerp, Belgium. Because Antwerp functioned as one of Europe's most vital, bustling shipping hubs during the first half of the twentieth century, local tailors and metal foundries produced highly durable, heavily gilded buttons designed to withstand constant exposure to harsh saltwater air and rigorous daily polishing routines.