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Recommended Reference Books for Uniform Button Collectors

We've done some research to find reference books for uniform button collectors - click on the hyper-links to buy direct from Amazon.co.uk. (A number of North American customers have commented that even with shipping costs, Amazon.co.uk can be cheaper than its US partner Amazon.com).
The books listed are ones that we use on a regular basis. In many cases they show insignia reference numbers that we use on our mail-order catalogues. Please note that these books are sold by Amazon.co.uk - not by Ian Kelly (Militaria). A number of books do not have links to Amazon - this is because they are out-of-print. We have kept the details of suitable out-of-print books on my web site so that you can use this bibliography to buy them second-hand from another dealer.

Akers, MA. 1989. British Fire Service Cap Badges and Buttons - Volume 2 - 1947-1974. ISBN 0951093215: MA Akers.
An excellent book with full colour photographs of every cap badge in the period covered (1947-1974). Buttons are described but not illustrated.
British Fire Service Cap Badges and Buttons - Volume 2 - 1947-1974  Click here to buy this book

Baily's. 2000. Baily's Hunting Directory. ISBN 0953318109: Pearson Publishing.
Describes hunt uniforms and illustrates hunt buttons for the UK, Ireland, America, the Commonwealth and Europe.  The most useful book dealing with hunt buttons.  Click here to buy this book 

Blair, DG. 2001. British Buttons - Civilian Uniform Buttons 19th-20th Century (with price guide). ISBN 1897738048: Greenlight Publishing.
BB-DGB.jpg (9041 bytes)  Click here to buy this book

Cossum, JK. 1988. Buttons of the Defence Forces in Australia. ISBN 0731630831: JK Cossum.
Buttons of the Defence Forces in Australia

Froggatt, DJ. 1986. Railway Buttons, Badges & Uniforms. ISBN 0711016496: Ian Allan Ltd.
Railway Buttons, Badges & Uniforms

Ramon Guirao Larranaga & Miguel Angel Camino del Olmo. 1999.  Botones Espanoles de Uniforme.  ISBN 8478236856.  Ministerio de Defensa, Spain.
Spanish Uniform Buttons
Botones Espanoles de Uniforme - Spanish Uniform Buttons

Boczkowski, W, Jarozynski-Wolfram, M & Gladki, K.  1999.  GUZIKI - Prezewodnik dla kolekcjonerów.  ISBN 899124850X.  Warsaw.
Polish Military Uniform Buttons from 16th - 20th Centuries - A Collector's Guide.  Polish text with introduction and list of contents in English.
GUZIKI - Prezewodnik dla kolekcjonerów - Polish Military Uniform Buttons from 16th - 20th Centuries - A Collector's Guide

Harfield, AG. 1982. Head Dress, Badges and Embellishments of the Royal Corps of Signals. ISBN 0902633813: Picton Publishing (Chippenham).
Head Dress, Badges and Embellishments of the Royal Corps of Signals

Loughran, JL. 1995. Brown's Flags and Funnels of Shipping Companies of the World. ISBN 0851746349: Brown, Son & Ferguson
Useful for identifying Merchant Navy buttons and insignia - 1088 illustrations of shipping company liveries.
Brown's Flags and Funnels of Shipping Companies of the World Click here to buy this book

Parkyn, HG. 1956 (re-printed 1986). (Military) Shoulder-Belt Plates and Buttons. ISBN 0950853054: Ray Westlake
.(Military) Shoulder-Belt Plates and Buttons

Poulsom, NW. 1998. Buttons of the Indian Army - Volume 1 - Cavalry. ISBN 0854200797: Military Press International.
Black and white line drawings of pre-1947 buttons.  Comprehensive research including dates and changes of unit titles.
Buttons of the Indian Army - Volume 1 - Cavalry Click here to buy this book

Poulsom, NW. 1998. Buttons of the Indian Army - Volume 2 - The Bengal Army Infantry. ISBN 0854201599: Military Press International.
Black and white line drawings of pre-1947 buttons.  Comprehensive research including dates and changes of unit titles.
Buttons of the Indian Army - Volume 2 - The Bengal Army Infantry Click here to buy this book

Poulsom, NW. 1998. Buttons of the Indian Army - Volume 3 - Punjab Frontier Force, Madras Army Infantry, Hyderabad Infantry. ISBN 0854201513: Military Press International.
Black and white line drawings of pre-1947 buttons.  Comprehensive research including dates and changes of unit titles.
Buttons of the Indian Army - Volume 3 - Punjab Frontier Force, Madras Army Infantry, Hyderabad Infantry  Click here to buy this book

Poulsom, NW. 1998. Buttons of the Indian Army - Volume 4 - Bombay Army Infantry, Gurkha Infantry. ISBN 0854201610: Military Press International.
Black and white line drawings of pre-1947 buttons.  Comprehensive research including dates and changes of unit titles.
Buttons of the Indian Army - Volume 4 - Bombay Army Infantry, Gurkha Infantry

Poulsom, NW. 1998. Buttons of the Indian Army - Volume 5 - Arms and Services pre-1947. ISBN 0854201718: Military Press International.
Black and white line drawings of pre-1947 buttons.  Comprehensive research including dates and changes of unit titles.
Buttons of the Indian Army - Volume 5 - Arms and Services pre-1947 Click here to buy this book

Poulsom, NW. 1998. Buttons of the Indian Army - Volume 6 - index covering sections 1-5, Summary of Battle Honours to 1914 Awarded to Each Regiment, and Summaries of the Post-1922 Amalgamations. ISBN 0854201815: Military Press International.  Click here to buy this book

Poulsom, NW. 2000. Buttons of the Indian Army - Volume 7 - Additions, Amendments, Alterations, Corrections, Post 1914 Battle Honours. ISBN 0854201963: Military Press International.  Click here to buy this book

Ripley, H. 1983. Buttons of the British Army 1855-1970. ISBN 085368569X: Arms and Armour Press.
Buttons of the British Army 1855-1970

Ripley, H. 1983. Police Forces of Great Britain and Ireland - their Amalgamations and their Buttons. ISBN 0901718297: R Hazell & Co.
Police Forces of Great Britain - their Amalgamations and their Buttons  Click here to buy this book

Ripley, H & Darmanin, D. 2000. Police Buttons - Volume 2. ISBN 0952793814: Police Insignia Collectors Association of Great Britain.
Police Buttons - Volume 2  Click here to buy this book

Ripley, H & Darmanin, D. 2002. Buttons of the Regular Army 1855-2000 - An Illustrated Reference Guide for Collectors. ISBN 0952446111: H Ripley.
Buttons of the Regular Army 1855-2000 - An Illustrated Reference Guide for Collectors Click here to buy this book

Ripley, H & Darmanin, D. 1996. Rifle Volunteer Buttons 1859-1908. ISBN 0951060341: Military Historical Society.
Rifle Volunteer Buttons 1859-1908 Click here to buy this book

Ripley, H & Darmanin, D. 2013. Scottish, Welsh & Channel Islands Infantry Militia Buttons 1757 - 1881. ISBN 9780952446132: H Ripley.
Scottish, Welsh & Channel Islands Infantry Militia Buttons 1757 - 1881  Click here to buy this book

Ripley, H & Moodie, B. 2002. Local Militia Buttons 2nd Edition. ISBN 095244612X: H Ripley.
Local Militia Buttons 2nd Edition Click here to buy this book

Sabatini, C & Antonini, E. 1998. Bottoni Militari Italiani. ISBN 8870003078: Italy
Italian Military Buttons
Bottoni Militari Italiani - Italian Military Buttons

Smylie, E. 1996. Buttons of the Canadian Militia. ISBN 1551250047: Vanwell Publishing, Canada.
Buttons of the Canadian Militia  Click here to buy this book

Squire, G. 1972. Buttons - A Guide For Collectors. ISBN 0584100353: Frederick Muller Limited.
This is the best book on uniform buttons, but unfortunately is no longer published.  Second-hand copies are rare and expensive - if you are serious about button collecting and see a copy for less than £60.00, you have a bargain - buy it immediately.
The book illustrates and identifies buttons from the United Kingdom and many overseas countries.  In addition to military and police buttons, it covers ambulance, fire service, prisons, hospital, blazer, clubs, livery, hunts, public and private companies, hotels, American state seals, town crests, schools, customs & excise, airlines, shipping, railways and transportation.
Buttons - A Guide For Collectors

Squire, G. 1976. Livery Buttons - The Pitt Collection. ISBN 0950474800: Leghorn Company.
Livery Buttons - The Pitt Collection Click here to buy this book