101st Foot, Royal Bengal Fusiliers, officer’s gilt 19mm

The 19mm fine gilt button  is in excellent condition retaining full gilt and with the backmark FIRMIN & SONS LONDON.  The 101st Foot , the 1st Royal Bengal Fusiliers was one  of the regiments taken into the British Line after the end of the East India Company. The button was worn from 1861 to 1881 when it became the 1st Royal Munster Fusiliers, being finally disbanded in 1922. All the numbered buttons 101 to 109 are rather hard to find, partly at least because they were in use for a shorter period than most.   apr12/1