Military buttons are among the smallest parts of a uniform, yet they say a remarkable amount: a single button can reveal the army, the branch, the regiment and sometimes even the decade a garment was made. Gilt brass, eagles, anchors, crowns and stars were never chosen at random – every motif signals belonging and rank. Below we look at how the military button evolved, what the most common symbols mean, how collectors date old buttons, and why military styling keeps coming back in fashion season after season.
A short timeline
- 18th century – the cast button. Early military buttons were one-piece castings in pewter, brass or bronze, with the shank cast in or soldered on the back. Designs were simple, often just a regimental number or an initial.
- Late 18th century – national emblems. The earliest known US Navy button with an eagle and a fouled anchor dates from 1797. The anchor wrapped in rope is still the navy's symbol today.
- The Napoleonic era (around 1800–1815). British rank-and-file soldiers wore pewter buttons, while officers wore gilt or silvered ones. Regimental numbers let historians identify units from battlefield finds. In the French imperial army, the eagle dominated.
- 19th century – the two-piece button. Industrial stamping introduced a domed front with relief and a separate back plate carrying the shank. It was lighter, cheaper to mass-produce and allowed much finer detail.
- 20th century – standardisation. Armies adopted uniform patterns, fewer regimental variants and new materials: aluminium, coated steel and later plastic for field uniforms. Metal buttons survived on dress and officers' uniforms.
Gold buttons MC 2110 Col E109 – 22 mm with crest for suits and coats
MC 1772 crest metal buttons – Gun Metal 20 mm with shank for suits and jackets
Metal coat of arms buttons 6-Z538 Col 292 – Gun Metal 22 mm with shankA glossary of symbols
Eagle
The emblem of state power, from Rome to Napoleon, Prussia and the United States. Collectors even check which way the head faces: on US Navy buttons the eagle faced left from roughly 1851 to 1941 and right from 1941 onwards – a small detail that helps with dating.
Anchor
Navies and marines. The fouled anchor is the classic naval motif; a plain anchor also appears on civilian maritime uniforms and, today, on peacoats and nautical blazers.
Crown
Monarchies and royal regiments. Bulgarian buttons from the Principality and Kingdom era often combine the crown with a lion – motifs still sought after by collectors.
Star
Used by many armies in the 20th century, including socialist states. A star stamps cleanly and stays legible even on small buttons.
Flaming grenade, swords, laurel
Branch insignia: the flaming grenade belongs to grenadiers and later to artillery and engineers; crossed swords and laurel branches hint at cavalry, officer rank or honours.
Types of military buttons by construction
| Type | How it is made | Where you find it |
|---|---|---|
| One-piece cast | poured into a mould, solid and heavy | 18th to early 19th century |
| Two-piece stamped | front shell + back plate + wire shank | officers' uniforms, 19th–20th century |
| Three-piece | front, inner plate and back; resists crushing | dress uniforms, premium patterns |
| Flat with holes | stamped metal, later plastic | field uniforms, shirts and underlayers |
How collectors date buttons
- Backmark. The maker's name and town stamped on the back are the strongest clue. Makers changed names and addresses, and their catalogues allow dating within a few years.
- Construction. A one-piece cast button is almost always older than a stamped two-piece one.
- Shank. An uneven, hand-soldered shank suggests earlier production; a machine-formed one points later.
- Design details. The direction of the eagle, the shape of the crown, the number of stars or the presence of numerals changed with each uniform reform.
- Finish. Fire gilding with mercury is typical of early periods; electroplating appears from the mid-19th century onwards.
A tip for collectors: never polish an old button aggressively. The patina and traces of gilding are part of its story and its value.
Military style in fashion
Uniforms have shaped civilian dress since the 19th century. The peacoat came straight from the navy, bringing the anchor and the double-breasted front with it. Greatcoats and trench coats carry epaulettes, belts with buckles and metal rings. The brass-buttoned blazer is a descendant of naval uniform. That is why designers still reach for:
- gold, antique brass and gunmetal crest buttons for coats and jackets;
- anchors and stars on smaller buttons for shirts, waistcoats and kidswear;
- double-breasted sets – six or eight large buttons on the front and smaller ones on the cuffs.
If you are planning a collection in this spirit, our button guides cover sizing in ligne, shanks and matching buttons to fabric.
Buttons for re-enactment, theatre and film
Historical re-enactment and stage costume follow their own logic. For an audience a few metres away, the silhouette is what counts: the right number of buttons, the spacing between them and the colour of the metal. For film close-ups or a museum display, the detail of the motif matters more. A practical approach is to choose a modern button of a similar diameter with an antique finish and a comparable motif – a crest, anchor or star – instead of hunting for originals, which are rare, expensive and fragile. Keep originals for the collection cabinet and let reproductions do the hard work on set.
FAQ
Can I wear buttons with military symbols on civilian clothes?
Decorative motifs such as anchors, crests, crowns or stars without specific service insignia are used freely in fashion. Just avoid exact copies of current official insignia.
What are modern military-style fashion buttons made of?
Usually zinc alloy or brass with an electroplated finish – gold, antique brass, silver or gunmetal. Zinc alloy allows very detailed relief, while brass resists corrosion better.
What size suits a military-style coat?
Coat fronts typically take 22–25 mm, jackets 20–22 mm, and cuffs and pockets 15–18 mm.
Crest and nautical buttons from Bul-tex
Our buttons collection includes metal crest buttons in gold, gunmetal and black oxide, plus small anchor buttons. For coats and greatcoats see our coat buttons, and for epaulettes and belts browse the buckles. If your brand or organisation wants a button with its own crest, get in touch – we make custom metal buttons to order.
