8 veterans button

K1DDO1979

Silver Member
Feb 8, 2014
3,856
8,712
Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab equinox 800, Fisher F75 Ltd SE 2 & Fisher F2 with 11"DD
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Any info?
image-1646927855.jpg image-3651301164.jpg
 

Last edited:
Upvote 0
OP
OP
K1DDO1979

K1DDO1979

Silver Member
Feb 8, 2014
3,856
8,712
Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab equinox 800, Fisher F75 Ltd SE 2 & Fisher F2 with 11"DD
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Found this...

British Regiments and the Men Who Led Them 1793-1815: Royal Veteran, Reserve, and Garrison Battalions

By Steve Brown

The history of these particular units is confusing since the term ‘Garrison Battalion’ was applied to three different types of corps at various times in the period 1795 to 1816. Chronologically speaking, the evolution goes like this;

1. A single Royal Garrison Battalion existed from 1795 to 1802

2. It was disbanded and replaced by seven new Royal Garrisons Battalions in December 1802

3. Sixteen Battalions of Reserve were raised in July 1803 in accordance with the Additional Forces Act

4. The seven Royal Garrison Battalions were re-named Royal Veteran Battalions in July 1804

5. The sixteen Battalions of Reserve were re-named Garrison Battalions in October 1804

6. These sixteen battalions were disbanded and replaced by three new Garrison Battalions in February 1805

7. The Royal Veteran Battalions were largely disbanded in 1814, but two were retained (4th and 7th) whilst six (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 8th) were re-raised in 1815 and disbanded in 1816. Technically these were new battalions, but have been covered under the description of the original unit for ease of reference.

8. The Garrison Battalions were also largely disbanded in 1814, but two (3rd and 4th) were retained and re-numbered, and a new 3rd Garrison Battalion was formed in 1815 from invalids in Plymouth and Portsmouth and Chelsea out-pensioners. All three were disbanded in 1816 and 1817.

The main difference between Veteran and Garrison Battalions was that the former were intended as a home for deserving old soldiers no longer fit for regular duty, whereas the latter were intended for the left-over limited service men enrolled under the various forces acts of 1803 to 1806. However this distinction blurred over time as both were used for depositing worn-out old soldiers for garrison duties.
 

Iron Patch

Gold Member
Sep 28, 2007
19,254
8,730
Dirtyville
🥇 Banner finds
3
Detector(s) used
Deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I think that might be the same as Romeo-1's find. He could not find another example in a lot of looking, so a pretty rare button. You'll have to check with him for info. as I can't find a picture of his button.
 

OP
OP
K1DDO1979

K1DDO1979

Silver Member
Feb 8, 2014
3,856
8,712
Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab equinox 800, Fisher F75 Ltd SE 2 & Fisher F2 with 11"DD
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I think that might be the same as Romeo-1's find. He could not find another example in a lot of looking, so a pretty rare button. You'll have to check with him for info. as I can't find a picture of his button.
I couldn't find one either. I wish it was in better shape but at least it's readable. (:
 

romeo-1

Gold Member
Jul 29, 2005
9,851
7,034
Romeotopia
🥇 Banner finds
3
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I would probably make a fairly high wager your button is the same and not King's 8th.
I thnk I would take that wager. There are quite a few differences in these two buttons. It looks like the word "VETERAN" is on his button but it's the British motto on mine. Also the 8 on his button is much smaller than the 8 on mine. There is a wreath around the border of KIDDO's button but not mine. Finally the crown on my button extends below the garter and is perched on top of the garter on his. When comparing my button to a known Kings 8th there are more similarities than differences... I know it could be a variant on a Royal 8th Veterans...but still thinking King's 8th...someone prove me wrong!
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
K1DDO1979

K1DDO1979

Silver Member
Feb 8, 2014
3,856
8,712
Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab equinox 800, Fisher F75 Ltd SE 2 & Fisher F2 with 11"DD
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I thnk I would take that wager. There are quite a few differences in these two buttons. It looks like the word "VETERAN" is on his button but it's the British motto on mine. Also the 8 on his button is much smaller than the 8 on mine. Finally the crown on my button extends below the garter on mine and is perched on top of the garter on his. When comparing my button to a known King's 8th there are more similarities than differences... I know it could be a variant on a Royal 8th Veterans...but still thinking King's 8th...someone prove me wrong!
Also yours has a motto around the band and mine just got a wreath. I will get some better photos and the back maker may help. Just been so busy with work and kids.
 

romeo-1

Gold Member
Jul 29, 2005
9,851
7,034
Romeotopia
🥇 Banner finds
3
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Here's another Royal Veterans Battalion button (1st) which is similar to KIDDO1979's button...
 

Attachments

  • abc140_5b8e2326c662bca4b8c34f5cc5df41fb_jpg_srz_160_170_85_22_0_50_1_20_0.jpg
    abc140_5b8e2326c662bca4b8c34f5cc5df41fb_jpg_srz_160_170_85_22_0_50_1_20_0.jpg
    8.5 KB · Views: 124
OP
OP
K1DDO1979

K1DDO1979

Silver Member
Feb 8, 2014
3,856
8,712
Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab equinox 800, Fisher F75 Ltd SE 2 & Fisher F2 with 11"DD
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Here's another Royal Veterans Battalion button (1st) which is similar to KIDDO1979's button...
They are close. It looks like mine may just say veteran.
 

Iron Patch

Gold Member
Sep 28, 2007
19,254
8,730
Dirtyville
🥇 Banner finds
3
Detector(s) used
Deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I thnk I would take that wager. There are quite a few differences in these two buttons. It looks like the word "VETERAN" is on his button but it's the British motto on mine. Also the 8 on his button is much smaller than the 8 on mine. There is a wreath around the border of KIDDO's button but not mine. Finally the crown on my button extends below the garter and is perched on top of the garter on his. When comparing my button to a known Kings 8th there are more similarities than differences... I know it could be a variant on a Royal 8th Veterans...but still thinking King's 8th...someone prove me wrong!


I'm definitely not arguing the exact same, just a different issue for that regiment.... but now looking in my book again to refresh my memory I do see there in one King's 8th listed that is that style (and with the motto).... which I forgot about when I posted that. So I would probably not make that bet! :)
 

Iron Patch

Gold Member
Sep 28, 2007
19,254
8,730
Dirtyville
🥇 Banner finds
3
Detector(s) used
Deus
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Did it say what age that button was?
Your backmark is I Mcgowan London which is a common mark for War of 1812 buttons. I sort of already knew that because it closely resembles the construction of the British Royal Regiment of Artillery buttons from the war. So basically 1790s/1812 era.
 

OP
OP
K1DDO1979

K1DDO1979

Silver Member
Feb 8, 2014
3,856
8,712
Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab equinox 800, Fisher F75 Ltd SE 2 & Fisher F2 with 11"DD
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I'm definitely not arguing the exact same, just a different issue for that regiment.... but now looking in my book again to refresh my memory I do see there in one King's 8th listed that is that style (and with the motto).... which I forgot about when I posted that. So I would probably not make that bet! :)
Good to know. I got to get back to that spot. It's a big spot on the eastern shore of ns. The man who owns its family was there since the 1700's. He said his grandfather found cannon balls plowing the hilly field facing the ocean. The story was when there was french camps on the land just before his family the british would fire from their ships to give them a scare. The property's been used since then continuously by his family. There was some big battles really close in tangier ns. I also know an island from a local that has a definite french fort on it that he will drop me off on. (:
 

romeo-1

Gold Member
Jul 29, 2005
9,851
7,034
Romeotopia
🥇 Banner finds
3
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'm definitely not arguing the exact same, just a different issue for that regiment.... but now looking in my book again to refresh my memory I do see there in one King's 8th listed that is that style (and with the motto).... which I forgot about when I posted that. So I would probably not make that bet! :)

Damn...I was hoping for a payday! Daddy needs a new 'tector!
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top