A pewter button pulled from a battlefield can carry more regimental history than a whole museum case of medals.
Quick answer. Military uniform buttons are collected by regiment, period, and material. The most valuable to collectors are 18th and 19th century British, French, Prussian, Russian and American regimental buttons, especially those with raised regimental numbers and crests. Prices range from 5 pounds for a common Victorian number to 2,000 pounds for a Napoleonic Imperial Guard officer button in good condition.
Why buttons matter to historians
Military buttons are the most durable survivor of any uniform. Wool rots, leather dries, bullion tarnishes, but a pewter or brass button buried in the mud of a battlefield survives for 200 years. For battlefield archaeologists, buttons are the primary identifier of regiment: at Waterloo, the French Imperial Guard uses specific crowns, the Prussian Landwehr uses regional numbers, the British 1st Foot Guards uses a crown over the garter.
Buttons also identify officer vs enlisted. Officers wore gilt or silver plate. Enlisted men wore pewter or plain brass. This hierarchy is itself historical evidence of a regiment's structure in a given campaign. For context, our officer and enlisted men uniforms piece explains the broader system.
The three main materials
Pewter: a tin lead alloy, cast from a mould, used for enlisted men's buttons until about 1830. Flat backed, often with a small iron shank. Prone to breaking and oxidising to a dull grey. Common on Napoleonic and American Civil War private soldiers' coats.
Brass: a copper zinc alloy, die stamped from sheet. Used for enlisted and officer buttons, usually with a brass loop shank soldered to the back. The 1812 pattern British button is a classic example. Prone to developing green verdigris if stored damp.
Gilt and silver plate: a thin coating of real gold or silver on a brass base. Officer wear only. Original gilt from the 1800s is around 2 percent gold on silver on copper, applied by mercury fire gilding. Original silver plate is pure silver on copper. Both wear through at high contact points like the cuff.
Backmarks and the maker
Flip a button over. The reverse often carries the maker's name stamped around the loop: Nutting, Firmin, Pitt and Co, Jennens and Co, Buttons London. The presence and style of backmark narrows the date of manufacture to within 20 years. A Firmin button marked FIRMIN & SONS 153 STRAND is probably post 1875, because that is when Firmin opened the Strand address.
German buttons were marked by their town of manufacture: Berlin, Potsdam, Prague, Vienna. French buttons rarely carried a maker's mark, which makes them harder to date. For a longer discussion of 18th century regimental identification, see our British 18th century military uniforms piece.
Dating by design
Pre 1760 buttons are flat, cast, with a wire eye bent through the back. 1760 to 1800 buttons are usually one piece pewter or two piece brass with a bone or wood core. 1800 to 1850 buttons are stamped brass with regimental numbers raised, often with a crown. 1850 to 1900 adds badges, scrolls and mottoes. 1900 onwards sees the move to anodised aluminium and later plastic.
The British General Service pattern of 1871 (crown over trophy of arms over GS) remained in use for enlisted men until 1990. Regimental officer buttons continued to be worn in full dress and mess kit, where they remain today.
What is worth collecting
High value: Napoleonic Imperial Guard officer gilt buttons (200 to 2,000 pounds). British 1st Foot Guards officer buttons 1800 to 1830 (150 to 400). French line regiment pewter buttons recovered from Waterloo or Borodino with provenance (100 to 300). American Revolutionary War buttons (50 to 500 depending on regiment).
Mid value: British Victorian regimental officer gilt (20 to 80). Prussian regimental 1870 to 1900 (10 to 50). Low value: 20th century general service in brass or aluminium (1 to 10). Fakes and reproductions are a serious problem, particularly for high value Imperial Guard pieces. Buy only from known dealers with full provenance.
Storing and cleaning
Store buttons flat, in acid free paper, in a dark drawer. Light yellows pewter and darkens silver. Humidity causes brass verdigris. Do not store in PVC pockets, which gas off chlorides. Each button should be labelled with regiment, period and recovery provenance.
Cleaning is controversial. Collectors value patina. Over cleaning strips value: a bright gilt is often less desirable than a mellow aged gilt. If cleaning is unavoidable, use a soft brush and a drop of distilled water, nothing more. Never use ammonia, baking soda or metal polish. For a wider view of how to identify and care for collectible uniform items, our beginner's collecting guide gives the full approach.
Common questions
What are military buttons made of?
Pewter for enlisted men pre 1830, brass thereafter, gilt or silver plate for officers. 20th century buttons move to anodised aluminium and plastic.
How do I date a button?
Design (flat and cast pre 1760, stamped and numbered 1800 to 1850), backmark (maker and address), and recovery context. Combined, these narrow the date to within 20 years.
Where are buttons recovered?
From battlefields (Waterloo, Gettysburg, Borodino), from naval wrecks (HMS Vanguard, HMS Fougueux), from building sites in garrison towns, and from surviving uniforms. Battlefield context raises value significantly.
Are reproductions a problem?
Yes. High value Imperial Guard and Civil War pieces are frequently faked. Buy only from established dealers with provenance, and look for the right casting, backmark style, and shank method.
Should I clean an old button?
Usually not. Collectors value patina, and over cleaning strips value. If needed, soft brush and distilled water only. Never ammonia or metal polish.