Button Question

[Bank Vault]

Some of the sets of Army dress green uniforms I have for sale have nickel colored buttons instead of brass colored buttons, they have the eagle and everything just a different color, any reason why?

[market garden]

Probally Army Engineer buttons "ESSYONS" ( spelled wrong?) is what you have . John

[GIl Sanow]

Probally Army Engineer buttons "ESSYONS" ( spelled wrong?) is what you have . John

 

That was a popular way to personalize uniforms. I think the justified it by saying it was "white gold"! I am not sure how EMs got away with it, but I know one rational for officers doing it was that this way the buttons matched their rank devices -- 1LT, CPT and LTC and COL ranks did it -- I think I have even seen a general with them!

 

It never ceaces to amaze me on how the American soldier would make every effort to make his uniform UNuniform! Look at how many had their insignia X-stitched to their uniforms. Look at the use of bullion insignia. And certainly there are other examples.

 

G

[Bank Vault]

These aren't old, 1950s at latest, I believe some if not all are tailor made so, but I mean like 3 or 4 out of the 20 I bought! Is the Army really letting that slide?

 

That was a popular way to personalize uniforms. I think the justified it by saying it was "white gold"! I am not sure how EMs got away with it, but I know one rational for officers doing it was that this way the buttons matched their rank devices -- 1LT, CPT and LTC and COL ranks did it -- I think I have even seen a general with them!

 

It never ceaces to amaze me on how the American soldier would make every effort to make his uniform UNuniform! Look at how many had their insignia X-stitched to their uniforms. Look at the use of bullion insignia. And certainly there are other examples.

 

G

[Laury Allison]

Probally Army Engineer buttons "ESSYONS" ( spelled wrong?) is what you have . John

 

The Engineer buttons are a different design. They have a castle tower with the ESSAYONS on a scroll if I remember right? I was in an Engineer Battalion, but that was a few years ago and I didn't have an Engineer MOS, so I wore the standard buttons.

 

The silver colored buttons are similiar to the silver collar devices you sometimes see. Soldiers would wear these so you didn't have to brasso them. My Dad has told me you could generally get away with it as long as you didn't wear them for inspections.

 

Laury

[Bank Vault]

The Engineer buttons are a different design. They have a castle tower with the ESSAYONS on a scroll if I remember right? I was in an Engineer Battalion, but that was a few years ago and I didn't have an Engineer MOS, so I wore the standard buttons.

 

The silver colored buttons are similiar to the silver collar devices you sometimes see. Soldiers would wear these so you didn't have to brasso them. My Dad has told me you could generally get away with it as long as you didn't wear them for inspections.

 

Laury

 

I bought them, from the same guy who buys from thrift shops like crazy in Denver so maybe he bought them all at once? Maybe it is a unit thing? Oh and does the black cuff mean an officer?

[CNY Militaria]

MG Dacey's uniform has silver Essayons buttons down the front, and the silver regular officer buttons on the pockets.

[Jason G]

I recall when I first started collecting military stuff in the 70's as a kid, picking up several uniforms with the 'silver' buttons. Someplace, I even have an original card full of them, unissued.

 

I was told that they were 'private purchase' for soldiers wanting to upgrade their uniforms and authorized at the time. Don't have my old AR in front of me to back that up tho.

[GIl Sanow]

I bought them, from the same guy who buys from thrift shops like crazy in Denver so maybe he bought them all at once? Maybe it is a unit thing? Oh and does the black cuff mean an officer?

 

Yes, black cuff band is for an officer or warrant officer. If it is WIDE, it is for a general officer.

[Spathologist]

Until the early 90s or so, Army Warrant Officers were authorized to wear silver buttons in place of the gold on their Class A coats. Everything had to be silver, though...buttons and insignia.

 

I did it for a while, but decided I didn't like the way it looked and changed back to gold.

[Laury Allison]

You sometimes see branch insignia in silver also. I've got officer branch insignia for Field Artillery, Military Intelligence, Military Police, Transportation, and O.C.S. in silver. I'm sure there were several others available too. I've got several branches for enlisted in silver as well.

 

As I recall, they used to advertise these as never needed shining. This was before Stabrite insignia was around.

 

Laury

[Steve B.]

The wear of white gold or "silver" buttons was previously authorized as an option for enlisted sodliers, officers, & warrant officers. The catch was that EVERYTHING (except rank insignia) had to be white gold or "silver." That included the collar brass, pocket buttons, belt buckle, etc.

 

I distinctly remember one Spec 4 and several officers that did this in the 70s, and that's the last time I remember seeing it.

 

I don't know exactly when this option was discontinued, but y copy of Army Regulation 670-1, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia, states in paragraph 27-4.a.(2) and paragraph 27-4.b.(2): "...The previously optional white gold anodized aluminum buittons are no longer authorized for wear."

 

The first paragraph refers to regular Army buttons, and the second paragraph refers to Corps of Engineer buttons.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Steve