✅ SOLVED Undocumented "Helena Regiment" button help requested

[steelheadwill]

I thought members might like to see this button, posted here cause it wasn't found today, and I'm not sure exactly what it is.
I did find reference to a 'Helena Regiment' button noted in issue 181/182 of themilitaryhistoricalsociety.co.uk publication, I communicated with Michael Taylor of the Society, and
have been advised the button referenced does not resemble this one.

My conjecture is that this is a uniform button from one of the soldiers assigned to watch over Napoleon Bonaparte during his St Helena exile, 1815-1821.
The one piece gilt brass convex design is date consistent anyway (as are the many Rev and 1812 buttons recovered from this particular site)

The 1817 St Helena census recorded 821 white inhabitants, a garrison of 820 men, 618 Chinese indentured labourers, 500 free blacks and 1,540 slaves.

Due to my failing eyesight, photos are not as good as I'd like, the recovered button shows a lion rampant on a torse with (ST.- ?) HELENA above, and REGIMENT below, it is 19 mm with fairly high convex and no visible backmark. (other than a casting seam and some gilt)
The button illustrated in MHSUK shows a central Queen's (Victoria) crown with a swallow-tail upward scroll above with St. HELENA, and a downward scroll below with REGIMENT.

Many thanks to Mr Taylor for his help in this matter.

If anyone knows or can find further info on this button it would be greatly appreciated. I seem to have run into a brick wall here

Thanks for looking and HH everyone! Herbie.



below:"Napoleon sainthelene". Licensed under Public Domain via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/...lene.jpg#/media/File:Napoleon_sainthelene.jpg

 

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[nhbenz]

The pictures from this old listing may help in seeing the details... They feel the lion is holding a crown: St Helena Regiment Button (11/16/2013)

 

[steelheadwill]

Thanks Benz,
That'll be a green check, 17 bucks for a yet to be cataloged or published military button. G'deal for sure

 

[steelheadwill]

It is a crown being held there

 

[DCMatt]

That is the logo for the East India Company.

 

[steelheadwill]

That is the logo for the East India Company.

View attachment 1262360

Thanks for the 'New to Me' Info Matt!

 

[steelheadwill]

Results of Matts reply.
Some new info from Mr Taylor at BHMS:

"You are correct that the lion is from the Arms of the HEIC, chartered 1698. It is the Crest and technically it is described as follows:

Crest: A lion rampant guardant Or supporting between the forepaws a regal crown proper. (It is on a red and white torse see picture attached, if it copies properly.)

That should help if only because the button surely can only be from one of John Company's military units, between about 1700 and 1834.

It might be worth spending a bit of money (none of us are in this to make a profit!) to get the button conserved by a museum-standard professional.

Best of luck with the research.

Mike Taylor. Secretary and Quartermaster, British Military Historical Society."

 

[devonman]

hi i have just dug up one an cant find ne thing on this button help on back D&R BLACHFORDS LONDON
??