{"product_id":"pre-1916-prince-line-22mm-gilded-brass-button-by-firmin","title":"Pre 1916 Prince Line 22mm gilded brass button by Firmin","description":"\u003cdiv data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"xUgpab#A1M9vc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_0\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"xUgpab#A1M9vc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"LEfyl_0\"\u003eoriginal uniform button from the \u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"cjmLxf#dPtwvc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"LEfyl_1\"\u003ePrince Line\u003c\/span\u003e, a prominent British shipping company.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"gjwZNd#ZxCkTb\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"LEfyl_2\"\u003eButton Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"qhbHec#lPvkWe\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"LEfyl_3\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"uJpRZe#rJqRnf\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"LEfyl_4\"\u003e\n\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"cjmLxf#dPtwvc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"LEfyl_5\"\u003eFront Design:\u003c\/span\u003e Features the Prince Line's house flag—a swallowtail pennant bearing a distinct \u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"cjmLxf#dPtwvc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"LEfyl_6\"\u003ePrince of Wales's feathers\u003c\/span\u003e emblem (often mistaken for a fleur-de-lis)—set against a horizontally lined background and enclosed by a rope-twist border.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"uJpRZe#rJqRnf\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"LEfyl_7\"\u003e\n\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"cjmLxf#dPtwvc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"LEfyl_8\"\u003eBackmark:\u003c\/span\u003e Stamped \u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"cjmLxf#dPtwvc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"LEfyl_9\"\u003e\"FIRMIN · LONDON\"\u003c\/span\u003e, confirming it was manufactured by Firmin \u0026amp; Sons, one of the oldest and most prestigious button makers in England.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"gjwZNd#ZxCkTb\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"LEfyl_a\"\u003eHistorical Context\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"xUgpab#A1M9vc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"LEfyl_b\"\u003eFounded by James Knott in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1881, the Prince Line grew into one of the world's largest shipping lines before being bought by Furness, Withy \u0026amp; Co. in 1916. Buttons like this were worn on the uniforms of the ship's officers and crew members throughout the late 19th and mid-20th centuries.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"kVZO2c#SfSkjb\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"LEfyl_f\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"cU6Yt#LBga0c\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"LEfyl_h\"\u003eThe Backmark \u0026amp; Dating\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"qhbHec#lPvkWe\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_3\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"uJpRZe#rJqRnf\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_4\"\u003e\n\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"cjmLxf#dPtwvc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_5\"\u003eThe Manufacturer:\u003c\/span\u003e Firmin \u0026amp; Sons (founded in 1677) is England's oldest button maker.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"uJpRZe#rJqRnf\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_6\"\u003e\n\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"cjmLxf#dPtwvc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_7\"\u003eThe Font Style:\u003c\/span\u003e The simple, clean, sans-serif block lettering of \u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"cjmLxf#dPtwvc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_8\"\u003e\"FIRMIN · LONDON\"\u003c\/span\u003e stamped into the brass reverse is a classic style used by the foundry around the turn of the 20th century. Earlier Victorian versions typically included \"\u0026amp; SONS\" or used serifed, elaborate fonts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"uJpRZe#rJqRnf\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_a\"\u003e\n\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"cjmLxf#dPtwvc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_b\"\u003eConstruction:\u003c\/span\u003e This is a two-piece \"gilt\" brass button with a separate domed front shell and a solid backplate featuring a braised wire shank loop.\u003cspan jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"gWOIub#gnsrYb\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_c\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"gjwZNd#ZxCkTb\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_d\"\u003eThe Emblem: Why the Feathers?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"qhbHec#lPvkWe\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_e\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"uJpRZe#rJqRnf\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_f\"\u003eThe emblem inside the swallowtail flag shows the three ostrich feathers emerging from a gold coronet. This is the traditional heraldic badge of the \u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"cjmLxf#dPtwvc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_g\"\u003ePrince of Wales\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"uJpRZe#rJqRnf\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_i\"\u003eShipping lines frequently utilized royal, regional, or national symbols to cultivate an aura of prestige, power, and reliability for their fleets.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 role=\"heading\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"gjwZNd#ZxCkTb\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_j\"\u003eLife On Board the Prince Line\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"qhbHec#lPvkWe\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_l\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"uJpRZe#rJqRnf\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_m\"\u003e\n\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"cjmLxf#dPtwvc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_n\"\u003eWho Wore It:\u003c\/span\u003e This type of button was worn on the formal double-breasted navy tunics and cuff plackets of the ship’s \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.kellybadges.co.uk\/uniform-buttons-merchant-navy-and-shipping-buttons\/8965-prince-line---shipping-button---roped-rim-165mm--brass-merchant-navy-or-shipping-uniform-button.html?srsltid=AfmBOorvL4pdTIT_ilQbjLL1C0xoCy_A5j7P0C2fqwIQcPPHEMjJ-aHt8cM\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"SKtXpe#xR6Anb\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_o\"\u003eDeck Officers and Chief Engineers\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"uJpRZe#rJqRnf\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_p\"\u003e\n\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"cjmLxf#dPtwvc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_q\"\u003eThe Fleet Identity:\u003c\/span\u003e The Prince Line was famous for naming every single ship in its fleet with a \"Prince\" suffix (e.g., \u003cem jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"ABoAEd#jBqpid\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_r\"\u003eSaxon Prince\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"ABoAEd#jBqpid\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_s\"\u003eHighland Prince\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"ABoAEd#jBqpid\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_t\"\u003eBlack Prince\u003c\/em\u003e). The ships themselves were striking, painted with distinct slate-grey hulls and bold black-and-red funnels.\u003cspan jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"gWOIub#gnsrYb\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_u\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"uJpRZe#rJqRnf\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_v\"\u003e\n\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"cjmLxf#dPtwvc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_w\"\u003eGlobal Trade Routes:\u003c\/span\u003e While they carried some passengers, these ships were primarily cargo liners. Officers wearing these buttons traveled historic global trade routes, moving cotton and grain from the Mediterranean to Manchester, or embarking on massive round-the-world trade voyages via the Panama Canal.\u003cspan jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"gWOIub#gnsrYb\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_x\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"uJpRZe#rJqRnf\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_y\"\u003e\n\u003cspan data-sfc-cp=\"\" jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"cjmLxf#dPtwvc\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_z\"\u003eWartime Legacy:\u003c\/span\u003e The era this button originates from was highly volatile. When World War I broke out, the Prince Line had 45 steamers. They lost 16 of them to enemy U-boats and mines. The owner, Sir James Knott, was so devastated by the war—losing three of his own sons to the fighting—that he sold the entire multi-ship empire to Furness, Withy \u0026amp; Co. in 1916.\u003cspan jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"gWOIub#gnsrYb\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_10\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv jsaction=\"\" jscontroller=\"kVZO2c#SfSkjb\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" jsuid=\"npzuff_14\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Gradia Militaria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53897544827208,"sku":"10138","price":10.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0924\/1103\/5976\/files\/IMG-2083.heic?v=1787623369","url":"https:\/\/www.gradiamilitaria.com\/products\/pre-1916-prince-line-22mm-gilded-brass-button-by-firmin","provider":"Gradia Militaria","version":"1.0","type":"link"}