TOPIC:

Can someone help to ID this button found at an Anglo Boer war concentration camp site.

Hello Scolchester
Welcome to the forum.
I am no expert on buttons. However, this example looks very heraldic in its design. I didn't find a military equivalent but it is possible that this maybe a livery button of some kind. The eagle, rampant over a coat of arms does suggest a family or company affiliation. There looks to be some kind of lettering on the scroll below the design. Can this be read? I assume it is brass? Is there a makers mark on the reverse? I will investigate further regarding regimental buttons of the day, but at present nothing is coming close.

Dave.....

The coat of arms is not listed in Papworth’s Ordinary of Armorials (1874) or the Book of Public Arms (1915), and the crest is not in Faibairn’s Book of Crests of Families of Great Britain & Ireland. This suggests that it is not a British button. It certainly isn’t regimental.

As the button was found in South Africa, it might be relevant that the crest looks distinctly like the Transvaal Eagle. As far as I am aware, the eagle in this form is/was not used in the UK.

Could it therefore represent the civic arms of a town in the Transvaal?

The arms appear to be something like:

On a fesse, between a lion passant guardant in chief, and three arches in the base, two bezants.

..

I agree the eagle is like that of the ZAR; I wonder if the objects on either side of the shield might be proteas.
I'll enquire on other forums.

These are the municipal arms of Pietersburg (now 'Polokwane'), which date from 1967. So, it's a modern button, not an ABW relic. The blazon is :
Azure, on a fess Argent, between in chief a lion passant Argent, armed and langued Gules, and in base two chevrons humette, and a horseshoe Argent, placed 2 and 1, two cogwheels Gules.

Great detective work Arthur.
The motto on the scroll reads "Labor omnia vincit."..."Work conquers all"