Material: Yellow brass until 1881, and then gilding metal.
Size: 25mm
Description: This uniform artifact is a British military General Service tunic button produced for the Armed Forces during the Victorian era. Stamped from brass, the face of the convex button displays a detailed, three-dimensional strike of the United Kingdom Royal Coat of Arms. The design features the central shield surrounded by the Order of the Garter ribbon, supported by the traditional crowned lion rampant on the left and the chained unicorn on the right. Positioned prominently at the top is the Queen Victoria Crown (QVC), while the lower edge integrates the royal motto Dieu et mon droit across a sweeping banner scroll. The reverse side is structurally complete with its original brazed wire attachment loop and is deeply stamped with the historical manufacturer backmark "PLAYER BROS. BIRMINGHAM".
Circa: 1871–1901
Notes:
An account compiled by Peter Vorberg from information provided by Denzil I Cowley describes yellow-brass Victorian General Service buttons used by Military Prison Staff warders from 1871 to 1880, followed by gilding metal examples from 1881 to 1901.
The reverse bears the backmark “PLAYER BROS. BIRMINGHAM.” Player Brothers appear in a compilation of London trade directories in 1867–1871 and 1880–1899, with Birmingham recorded among their business locations. These references establish the maker’s nineteenth-century activity, but no verified chronology for this specific backmark has yet been located. The mark therefore identifies the maker without independently narrowing the button’s manufacture date.