Item number: M214

Year: AD 1887-1899

The results after XRF testing

Material: Gilt / Brass

Size: 25.0 x 25.0 x 15.1 mm

Weight: 7.4-7.65 g

Provenance: Private Collector, UK, 2023

This is a set of 11 buttons in three different versions provided for officers of the British Army’s Border Regiment. Each button features a Chinese dragon with its head held high facing left, and the legend “CHINA” inscribed above the dragon. Upon close inspection, the three different versions show variations in the dragon’s curling, the details of the scales, and the size of the lettering. The details on the designs on the left and right buttons are the most refined.

On the reverse side of the buttons, it can be observed that the left and middle buttons have stamped legend, while the right button remains smooth and unmarked. The left-side buttons are stamped with the phrase “SPECIAL QUALITY,” and the dragon motif on these buttons is more finely detailed. Additionally, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy testing reveals that these buttons have been gold-gilded.

The middle button features text arranged in two rings on the back. The outer ring displays the company and street name, “HOBSON & SONS 1 LEXINGTON ST,” while the inner ring includes the city area name “LONDON W.” “HOBSON & SONS” was established in AD 1873 and moved to Lexington Street in AD 1887. The company specialised in manufacturing uniforms and related decorations for British and foreign military forces. From the mid-19th century, it became common practise for British button manufacturers to advertise their trade name on the back of buttons, a tradition that continued into the mid-20th century.

The Border Regiment adopted the Chinese dragon and the word “CHINA” as its insignia due to its history during the First Opium War in AD 1841. During this conflict, one of the regiment’s predecessors, the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot, captured a Qing Dynasty military flag at the Battle of Tinghai. This flag is currently preserved at Kendal Parish Church in England.

In AD 1881, the British Army merged the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot and the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot to form a new unit, named “The Border Regiment” due to the regiments’ proximity to the England-Scotland border. Since then, The Border Regiment participated in the British Empire’s colonial wars during the Victorian era and fought in both World Wars.

From AD 1947 to AD 1955, the regiment was deployed in the Near East, including Palestine, Egypt, and Cyprus. In AD 1955, it was redeployed to West Germany to assist in the defence against a potential Soviet invasion. In AD 1957, the regiment was stationed in West Berlin, on the front lines of the Cold War. In AD 1959, The Border Regiment merged with the King’s Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) to form the King’s Own Royal Border Regiment, adopting a new name and insignia.

物件編號: M214

年代: 公元 1887-1899 年

XRF分析結果:

材質: 鍍金 / 黃銅

尺寸: 25.0 x 25.0 x 15.1 mm

重量: 7.4-7.65 g

來源: 英國私人收藏 2023

這是一組混合三種不同版型，供予英軍「邊境團」的軍官配戴之鈕扣，總計有11枚。鈕扣正面皆有一隻向左昂首的中國龍，龍的上方打印「CHINA」(中國) 字樣。若仔細觀察三種版別，能發現對於龍的捲曲程度、鱗片的細節和英文字體大小皆有些許差異，以左右兩側的版別細節最為精緻。

翻到鈕扣背面能發現左側和中間的鈕扣皆有打印文字，唯獨右側的鈕扣保持光滑無字。左側的鈕扣印有「SPECIAL QUALITY」(特殊品質) 字樣，其正面的龍圖騰細節較為精緻外，藉由X光螢光光譜儀檢測，尚發現其經過鍍金加工。

中間的鈕扣其文字分為兩環，外環為商號和街道名「HOBSON & SONS 1 LEXINGTON ST」，內環是城市區域名「LONDON W.」(西倫敦)。「HOBSON & SONS」成立於公元1873年，於公元1887年遷移至列克星敦街址，公司經手英國和外國軍隊的制服和相關裝飾製造。公元十九世紀中葉起，英國鈕扣商興起在鈕扣背面打印自家商號的廣告手法，並且持續自公元二十世紀中葉。

邊境團之所以採納中國龍和「CHINA」作為隊徽，源自公元1841年第一次鴉片戰爭中，部隊前身之一「第55威斯特摩蘭郡步兵團」在定海的戰鬥，成功擄獲一面清軍軍旗，目前這面旗幟由英國肯德爾教區教堂保管。

公元1881年，英軍合併「第55威斯特摩蘭郡步兵團」和「第34昆布蘭郡步兵團」為新單位，由於兩支單位的駐地皆鄰近英格蘭和蘇格蘭交界，因此新單位被冠以「邊境團」名稱。自此邊境團參與帝國在維多利亞時期的殖民戰爭，和後續極為慘烈的兩次世界大戰。公元1947至1955年，該部隊部署在巴勒斯坦、埃及和賽普勒斯等近東地區。公元1955年，被調度至西德協防和監視蘇聯可能的入侵。公元1957年，更調度至冷戰最前線的西柏林駐點。公元1959年，部隊與「國王皇家蘭卡斯特步兵團」合併為「國王皇家邊境團」，使用新名字和隊徽。