14th Regt. of Foot.brass 25mm 1855-81

A 25mm brass button of the 14th Regiment of Foot , as worn by other ranks for part of the time from 1855 to 1881, with the design of a Bengal tiger above the numeral 14 with the battle honours INDIA above and WATERLOO below. It has the backmark SMITH & WRIGHT, BIRMINGHAM. At this time the 14th was The Buckinghamshire, The Prince of Wales’s Own but after 1881 it became The West Yorkshire, Prince of Wales’s Own. This is one of only two numbered buttons to display a tiger indicative of its early India service, the other being the 102nd Royal Madras Fusiliers. This button has the steel back plate favoured by this maker, differing in this respect from the Irish made example also in this category. The backplate is worn but the patent shank works perfectly nd the face of the button is good.  sep24/1