🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Button expert needed

[Truth]

Hey guys I’m curious about this button all I can read on the back is “& Son”
“London”. Any idea what style this button is called and how old. And with that would you know the whole maker?

Thank you so much

 

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[DCMatt]

Start with this:

 

[Truth]

Start with this:

I’m trying to see the correlation I’m a little slow

 

[fyrffytr1]

Maybe J R Gaunt & son/ London?

 

[Red-Coat]

I’m trying to see the correlation I’m a little slow

Notwithstanding that it could be from a lesser maker or a custom-made button for a tailoring company, among the leading button makers in London there are only a handful who used "& SON" (singular, rather than plural as "& SONS") for their backmark. Stillwell was one of them. Nortzell was another. Although the last letters of the surname are only partially readable on your button, I can't readily see a surname ending '...ELL" as a possibility. I'm pretty sure It's not "GAUNT & SON" either.

Maybe try cleaning it up a little to see if those last letters of the surname lead us to a maker.

 

[DCMatt]

I’m trying to see the correlation I’m a little slow

 

[fyrffytr1]

Stillwell looks like it fits now that I put my glasses on.

 

[Red-Coat]

If it is Stillwell, note that several sources misleadingly give the company date as “before 1840”. I don’t know why, but they are all probably feeding from the same incomplete information source.

Edward Stillwell began business around 1825, but “& Son” wasn’t added to the company name until about 1852 as “Edward Stillwell & Son” or “Stillwell & Son”. By 1881 they had directory listings at 25 & 26 Barbican, London EC; 6 Little Britain, London EC; & 29 Savile Row, Regent Street, London W trading as:

“Gold & silver lacemen & embroiderers, army & navy outfitters, cork helmet manufacturers & sword cutlers, Manchester & woollen warehousemen, & every description of Masonic clothing, jewels, furniture & fittings, tinsel, lace & trimmings” and boasted that they had a “prize medal 1862 for good execution”.

They ceased trading around 1957. That particular button backmark show by Matt above is from a pattern 1901-1921 Royal Naval Reserve uniform button.

 

[Truth]

Start with this:

Is that my button?!?

 

[Truth]

I’ll admit I got to get my research game up but I’ll look through every picture I could find but I think yours is right it’s plain So not much to identify. Do you know the name of this button made it has a very oval top

 

[Red-Coat]

Is that my button?!?

No. Matt was just showing it for backmark comparison. As I said, that one is from a Naval Reserve button, pattern 1901-1921, which had a crowned anchor front like this:



I don't think it's going to be possible to attribute your button in the absence of a design but, given the wide variety of goods produced by Stillwell & Son, it can't be said for sure to be military. My guess would be that it's civilian (coat/blazer) and likely late Victorian.