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LOT 1516
Royal Hampshire Volunteers Silver-Plated Button
19TH CENTURY A.D.
5/8 in. (2.18 grams, 17 mm).
Silver-plated military button bearing the legend 'ROYAL HAMPSHIRE VOLUNTEERS' around a crown; loop to reverse. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFound Waltham St.
Lawrence, Windsor and Maidenhead, UK.
Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.BERK-0A5A9A.
From the PAS Report: 'Similar recorded examples have 'I. Nutting' backmark (without '& Son') which indicates a manufacture date of c.1794-1802 ('& Son' being added in 1803, dropped again c1820 when the father died).'
The story of the unit is difficult to determine. 'The Volunteer & Militia lists for 1794,1796, 1797, 1799, 1800 & 1801 have all been checked and no unit of this title is listed. Also the Parliamentary Return for December 9th & 13th, 1803 which lists many units that didn't make it into the April 1804 War Office List have been searched, again no such unit is listed. There were a few infantry volunteer regiments raised c1780-1783 as so many of the regular regiments were fighting in the War of American Independence, 'Royal Lancasters Volunteers' was one such that is listed, but there is no mention of one for Hampshire.'
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