Buttons, Buttons & Buttons

[RichieC]

22MM in diameter - Paris.

[RichieC]

This one is sort of a mystery also.

Non-military - perhaps political, Narkomat or some obscure commissariat or ministry?

[Wesley's Dad]

22MM in diameter - Paris.

Bizarre... That could be lots of things

1) Early Soviet contract made button from France. Soviet rank and insignia system up to and including 1935 regulation seems to have be influenced by the French systems of the period and earlier. Maybe there is more than a superficial connection??

2) German postwar made utilizing wartime aquired French material ???

3) Custom buttons for cinema costumes... I hope not, but who knows??

Thanks Richie

[Wesley's Dad]

Check this out... Have to love the internet

French buttons (Military and Civil) with the same back as Richie's... Looks like my first or second theories may have the most merit.

[Wesley's Dad]

Now a few shoulderboard buttons:

A: Wartime Khaki painted steel, smooth reverse
B: Wartime brass, US made
C: Wartime brass washed steel, rimmed obverse, smooth reverse
D: Aluminum constructed, "field grey" painted button
E: Brass washed steel, rimless domed button

My opinion is the "D" may be post war German based on the materials and paint color. This paint is not Soviet in my opinion.

I am also still not convinced "E" is a wartime button. I would like to see a good, non-studio, wartime photo of this button in wear.

Finally, I have never seen a green plastic, US made shoulderboard button, only coat and gym buttons. Does one exist?

[Wesley's Dad]

Now for something interesting... My British leather Jerkin with the unusual buttons. These buttons are concave on the reverse and I have never seen them on anything other than this Jerkin. British made buttons perhaps?

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Mike, never seen this style of button before, but if they are original to the jerkin, it must be fairly safe to assume they are indeed British made.

Cheers, Ade.

[Wesley's Dad]

Ade,

Of the four buttons on the Jerkin, three are of the type shown and are original to the item. One button is replaced with a standard Soviet made type. While I was with OstFront, we had a couple of these. Sadly, one was destroyed in shipment when a flask of German weapons decontamination fluid leaked. This one is pretty nice other than the stitching across each shoulder had blown out.

[RichieC]

Hi Guys,

I have only one of these examples loose.

The others are on a M40 white linen summer tunic in my collection.

Perhaps this may shed some light that they are perhaps a prewar example?

[RichieC]

Well guys... I managed to locate my storage box of spare buttons in short order this evening

I will sort out some good examples and photo them tomorrow. I have both wartime and post war examples in all three sizes and can do a spread much like Philippe did for us. Glad to see this topic take a root finally. Should be good discussion.

Mike, I have removed my button "box" from my collection room to my office where my scanner and photo "studio" reside.

For me, that is a constructive step.

I'll get to it, eventually.

OK Guys,

Day off and too cold outdoors to actually enjoy it. So, I have sorted out a box of my "Army" buttons...

It is only 3:30PM, so I think I should be able to begin photographing them one specimen type at a time - kindly forgive me if some shown have been shown and discussed previously.