African Royal Mail shipping line buttons circa 1900

Pair of high quality brushed silver finished buttons, one approx 23mm the other 17mm .

Shipping Line History
Elder Dempster Lines, operating as “African Royal Mail,” evolved from the 1852-founded African Steamship Company, which held a Royal Charter for subsidized mail steamers to West Africa, including the Gold Coast (modern Ghana). The line, later absorbed by Elder Dempster in 1891 and the Royal Mail Group by 1909, ran essential routes from Liverpool to West African ports, carrying mail, palm oil, passengers, and cargo amid fierce competition. 
Manufacturer Details
Simpson(s) of Liverpool was a 19th-century British button maker active around 1870–1900, producing high-end uniform buttons for shipping lines, livery, and military use from bases like South Audley Street (London affiliate) or local Liverpool works. Known for quality gilt and silvered pieces with roped rims, they supplied merchant navy outfits like these, often for Elder Dempster crews. Listings confirm Simpson-marked African Royal Mail buttons as rare Victorian/Edwardian artifacts, circa 1890–1900