Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事!
British Army
The Border Regiment Officer Buttons Set
(PITT&CO Version)
英軍邊境團軍官鈕扣組
(PITT&CO版)
Item number: M223
Year: AD 1895
The results after XRF testing
Element
Percentage %
Cu
86.95 %
Zn
12.7 %
Ir
0.232 %
Fe
0.119 %
Material: Brass
Size: 19.2 x 19.2 x 14.5 mm
Weight: per Button 4.25 g
Provenance: Private Collector, UK, 2023
This is a set of six brass buttons made by the London button manufacturer “PITT & CO” for the British Army’s “The Border Regiment.” The obverse side of each button features a Chinese dragon with its head held high facing left. The absence of wings and long whiskers distinguishes it from Western dragons. Above the dragon, the word “CHINA” is inscribed. These buttons were provided for the use of officers in the regiment to identify their unit.
The reverse side of the buttons is stamped with the manufacturer’s name and address, “PITT & CO. MADDOX ST. LONDON.” From the mid-19th century, it became common practise for British button manufacturers to advertise their brand by stamping their trade name on the reverse of buttons, a tradition that continued into the mid-20th century. “PITT & CO” originally opened as “Charles Pitt & Co” in London in AD 1875. In AD 1895, the shop moved to 31 Maddox Street in West London. In AD 1973, it was acquired by another button manufacturer, “J.R. Gaunt & Son Ltd.”
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.