✅ SOLVED Navy button?

[Erving]

Found this today and thought it was a Navy button, but I can't find it in any of my books. Can anyone ID it? Thanks, Earle

 

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[duggap]

What do you make out the items at the very top. They almost look like golf clubs.

 

[Erving]

What do you make out the items at the very top. They almost look like golf clubs.

Half the button is caved in, but I think they're flags, not golf clubs.

 

[HutSiteDigger]

What is the back-mark on it? i can zoom in and make only bits of it out..

When posting buttons - please try your best and post the full back-mark.. most of the time with that information the button can be IDed

 

[Erving]

What is the back-mark on it? i can zoom in and make only bits of it out..

When posting buttons - please try your best and post the full back-mark.. most of the time with that information the button can be IDed

When you zoom in on the photo, that's as good as it gets. The top reads ?IRIMINS and you can't make out the bottom because the shank is bent over it.

 

[recondigger]

I enhanced the pic a little
Is it firmin's ? I don't know
Dig until your arm falls off

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Should be "Firmin & Sons" which was a London based company... let me see what i can look up..

 

[HutSiteDigger]

What letter do you all think is in the middle.. G ? H

 

[BosnMate]

I think the crown would also make it British navy

 

[Bramblefind]

That's an interesting find It might be the Greenwich Seamen's Hospital. Here are some older buttons with the same type of design.

UK Finds Database - - - UKDFD

UK Finds Database - - - UKDFD

Also found this description from the Imperial War Museum database that seems to match your button but they don't have a pic or say what it was for-

buttons duplicate pattern GHS later RHS (INS 3624)

2 small buttons, 2 labels, lead seal buttons: an anchor surmounted by a naval crown and two union flags; at the base of the anchor the letters GHS; the whole within a roped border label #1: printed Admiralty Duplicate Pattern No. (blank); inscribed, Buttons gilding metal jackets for GHS. CP 10782 CP 4949/07 1900 label #2: inscribed, To be lettered RHS instead of GHS (3.4.35) seal: embossed Pat Rooms

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

What seems to be your exact button is shown in two photos on the British Navy Buttons webpage at the Colchester Treasure Hunting Club (England) website, about halfway down the webpage and about 2/3rds of the way down the webpage. The 2-piece ones are identified as "RN [Royal Navy] Greenwich Hospital Service - Officer's Hospital Staff tunic button, 1815-to-1868." Being a 2-piece button with an indented-letters backmark, your GHS button would date from the 1830s and later.
Navy buttons

 

[Erving]

Thanks everyone for your replies.