Help ID'ing Mexican (silver?) ring and Old Button.

[JeremiahEdward]

These were found in a 1700's park in Central Pennsylvania. I'm guessing the button is Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment uniform button, and I'm guessing that it's late 1800's.. but I was hoping for confirmation and some more info if anyone knows about these buttons.

Also, I could not get a more clear picture of the Mexican ring. It's got a little shield looking thing with a "1" in it and what appears to be "mexico" and initials "<someting> . n"

Thanks!

 

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[Red-Coat]

For the ring, what you’re seeing as a “shield” is an “eagle mark”. In 1948 the Mexican Government promoted the reintroduction of the eagle mark used in former times, but with an identification number on its chest.



The realistic form on the left was used until about 1955 and then the silhouette form on the right (like yours) until the late 1960s/early 1970s. The number indicates either the city of assay or an individual maker and number 1 was for Mexico City. So, your ring is likely between the mid 1950s and the early 1970s.

There were many variations in this loosely regulated system which was widely misused and abused before being abandoned as a failure in 1979/80. It was replaced thereafter as a “letter and number" system to identify both the location and the manufacturer.

That’s probably a maker’s mark conjoined with the “Mexico” mark but the picture is poorly focussed and I can’t read it. Some of the smaller makers used marks that aren’t easily traced.


I'm no more than a casual collector of military buttons, so I'll leave that to someone who knows what they're talking about.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I was intrigued by your button find so I did some digging... excuse the pun.
You're correct, it is a Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment uniform button.

Noticing the style of the eye-loop and the fact that it's a cast one-piece button, would likely date it from 1830 - 50.
Here's another example I found online, as well as, some background information about the regiment.

Dave


"The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division.

In 1702 Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he did in and around the city of Gloucester. As was the custom in those days the regiment was named Huntingdon's Regiment after its Colonel. As Colonel succeeded Colonel the name changed, but in 1751 regiments were given numbers, and the regiment was from that time officially known as the 33rd Regiment of Foot. In 1782 the regiment's title was changed to the 33rd (or First Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment, thus formalising an association with the West Riding of Yorkshire which, even then, had been long established. The first Duke of Wellington died in 1852 and in the following year Queen Victoria, in recognition of the regiment's long ties to him, ordered that the regiment's title be changed to the 33rd (or The Duke of Wellington's) Regiment. In 1881, following the Childers Reforms, the 33rd was linked with the 76th Regiment of Foot, who shared their depot in Halifax. The 76th had first been raised in 1745, by Simon Harcourt and disbanded in 1746, re-raised in 1756 disbanded again in 1763, before being raised again in 1777, disbanded in 1784 and finally re-raised, in 1787, for service in India, by the Honorable East India Company. The two regiments became, respectively, the 1st and 2nd battalions of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. In 1948 the 1st and 2nd battalions were amalgamated into a single battalion, the 1st Battalion. On 6 June 2006 the 'Dukes' were amalgamated with the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire and the Green Howards to form the Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot). As the youngest regiment the 'Dukes' became the 3rd Battalion, with each battalion retaining their antecdent regiments names in brackets. Following further mergers, in 2012, the battalion was redesignated as the new 1st Battalion of the regiment."

 

[CRUSADER]

I'm thinking the button is a copy.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I'm thinking the button is a copy.

Are you thinking it's a modern fashion button Cru... from what time period?

 

[CRUSADER]

Are you thinking it's a modern fashion button Cru... from what time period?

IT's construction reminds me of the 20th C reenactor types.