Fred M. Batchelder & Co. was a clothing & uniforms wholesaler, active at least as early as the 1880's, and as late as the 1940's. Batchelder was also listed as a hatter in the 1880's. Records for 1875-1935 indicate that the Waterbury Button Co. made buttons (including military varieties) backmarked for Fred M. Bachelder. So, this is likely a Waterbury stock-pattern button supplied to Bachelder for use on fire department uniforms. Note the similarity to this Waterbury die variety, with the same punctuation (period after F , but not after D ):