What are livery buttons?
For clarification here is a definition of a livery button, “Those buttons worn by service staff, usually a footman or coachman (although occasionally a valet or butler) in the service of an aristocratic household.
Who wore livery buttons?
It was used to describe giving to retainers, who provided domestic service to the nobles and aristocrats. It came to mean the suit of clothes worn by menservants in the colors of the master who provides it and for whom they work. So from the stable boy through the page boys, each would wear his master’s livery.
How do you date an old button?
Here are some tricks to determine whether a button is very old:
- It shows signs of being handmade, such as a lack of uniformity.
- The button displays an antique style, such as Art Nouveau or Art Deco.
- The back of the button is not a uniform texture.
- There are no mold lines to indicate machine manufacturing.
How do I identify old buttons?
What vintage buttons are worth the most?
Old Metal Buttons One of the most sought after metal buttons is any brass picture button from the Victorian era. There are metal buttons from the revolutionary war through the civil war era that were on military uniforms.
What kind of buttons are valuable?
Different Types of Collectible Buttons
- Celluloid Buttons. This rare material is the very first man-made plastic.
- Bakelite Buttons. Bakelite buttons are highly sought after.
- Lucite Buttons. Lucite has a low density but was stronger than previous plastics.
- Victorian Glass Buttons.
- Old Metal Buttons.
What is welcome to livery buttons identified?
Welcome to Livery Buttons Identified, a website that will be a growing reference of identified livery buttons. It is hoped to be of use to collectors, metal-detectorists, archaeologists and anyone interested in the design aspects depicted on livery buttons.
How do you find out what year a button is made?
One quick way to narrow the date range, when looking for the person who commissioned the making of the button, is by noting the button manufacturer on the rear of the button. Changes in address and how the company was named all help in obtaining a date range for further research potential.
Why are there so many old buttons on the ground?
A more likely reason was the practice of ‘shoddy’; this is backed up by the many that are found in an otherwise rural and isolated area. Shoddy is where old clothes were either cut up or shredded and placed directly onto the land as a form of fertiliser. It seems that the buttons were no longer in fashion so were not recycled.