Material: Copper alloy
Size: 16 mm diameter
Description: The front depicts a fortified gateway with two towers, battlements, and a small figure beneath the central arch. Raised lettering around the edge reads “ST GILES WITHOUT CRIPPLEGATE.” Lines marking the masonry remain visible across the towers and connecting wall.
The reverse carries a central loop shank and the stamped maker’s name “FIRMIN’S LONDON,” enclosed by a circular border.
Circa: 1897–1904, provisional attribution from the backmark.
Notes: “Without” means outside: the church stood beyond London’s city wall at Cripplegate. The gate was demolished in 1760, but its image continued to represent the locality.
A legend recorded by John Stow tells of miraculous healing when the body of St Edmund the Martyr was brought through Cripplegate in 1010. This belongs to the gate’s folklore; the origin of the name remains uncertain. The button identifies the parish, although its particular wearer or official role has not been established.