Buttons of the Canadian Militia, Army, Naval and Air Forces, 1900-1990

Sidney Allinson is a Victoria-based communications consultant, Canadian
news correspondent for Britain’s The Army Quarterly and Defence, and
the author of Military Archives: International Directory of Military
Publications and The Bantams: The Untold St

Militaria collecting has become an expensive hobby in the past few
years, with medal prices in particular having risen so high that they
are now a serious investment. That may have prompted the growing
interest in military buttons as collectibles.

Eric Smylie’s timely handbook identifies the various Canadian buttons
available in a logical manner, presenting examples of buttons worn by
each branch of service and by individual regiments in the Canadian
forces (including those of Newfoundland). Most buttons described are
illustrated with closeup photographs, vital help to beginner and serious
collector alike. Collectors will especially appreciate the book’s
concise history of military buttons in Canada since the early 19th
century, as well as its detailed valuation table, which puts a price on
each of the types of buttons. The bibliography of related books and a
comprehensive index form useful adjuncts to the listings.