Are these Imperial German ?

[Mike Huxley]

Your help is needed please gentlemen .... I bought this set of six buttons not so long ago, thinking them to be Imperial German. They are in a silver colour, 23mm dia with "Extra Fein" on the reverse.

I'm not sure now ... are they German .... :speechless-smiley-004:

[Guest Rick Research]

Hessian I'd say, and from the design, either considerably OLDER than "Extra Fein" has any right to be-- or perhaps made for the various Napoleonic Centennials that came up just before 1914.

Maybe Dutch...

or Bavarian...

or

:speechless-smiley-004:

dim bells are ringing with that backward looking kitty with the shish kabob stickers in BOTH paws....

[Mike Huxley]

Thanks Rick ... I'm totally stumped on these. At first I thought them to be Bavarian, then again no. I'll take a picture of the reverse tomorrow. Feelings are good for very early Hessian, but as you say that would be before "Extra Fein" marking Grrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Mike Huxley]

Rick, here at last is the shot of the reverse of the buttons. They are very well made and looks like a brass back ?

[Guest Rick Research]

Yup, I'm thinking Napoleonic Centennial uniform buttons. The fronts just have that old-fashioned look to them that doesn't match the modern construction.

[David Gregory]

They might just belong to a Verein or any other organisation that used liveries and/or uniforms, which certainly fits in with the German mindset of old.

[Mike Huxley]

Thanks Dave and Rick .... but I'm still none the wiser. :speechless-smiley-004:

Rick when you say "Napoleonic Centennial" do you mean that they were produced for uniforms related to a unit that served in the Napoleonic campagne ... such as the 73rd ?

David, please expand on your reasoning. I'm really lost on this one. You surgest a Verein organisation, but how would this work?

Sorry guys for all the questions and thanks for your thoughts and guidance.

Cheers,

Mike

[David Gregory]

Mike,

As is evident from the country's history, Germans love dressing up in uniforms. The military, para-military and party organisations that seem to be the focus for so many collectors certainly had the majority of uniforms and related badges, awards, etc. produced - if the collecting market is to be believed.

Even today, many Germans are members of various organisations connected with hunting, hobbies, voluntary fire brigades, bands and orchestras, carneval societies, historical tradition, etc. that still have uniforms. In the past, companies, hotels, towns and cities also had fairly high demand for uniforms, too. Modern German uniforms still use Tresse, cuff bands, buttons, peaked caps, piping, shoulder boards, collar patches, cockades, buckles, etc., which are often made by the same companies that supplied the military and party organisations in the past.

Judging by what I have seen at flea markets and various events over the years, the buttons you show could have been used by one of the above organisations for a private or official livery at some time over the last 90 years.

Do any of the uniform characteristics in the pictures below seem remotely familiar? They are all taken from current tradion, fire brigade or rifle association sites.

/David

http://www.buergerwache-crailsheim.de/32.0.html

[David Gregory]

[David Gregory]

[David Gregory]

Modern fire brigade uniforms

[Mike Huxley]

Thank you David, now I see what you mean. This would make sense of the older style front and the more up to date "Extra Fien" reverse. Guess I bought a pup here :violent-smiley-017:

[Guest Rick Research]

I know I have seen that "don't look back" lion juggling shish kabob sticks, probably on COINS.

What I meant by Napoleonic centennial was the wave of 1903-13 100 years regimental displays in most of the countries involved where when a specific occasion (battle anniversary or whatever) came up, the serving troop unit sent out squads retro-dressed in the original style. Not reenactors, but commemorative unit pride stuff.

[Mike Huxley]

I'm begining to get your drift now. So these buttons probably represent a bygone era of dress that a unit wished to celibrate. Unusual but nice to have. Thanks Rick and David for your help. You live and learn all the time.