Strange Realistic Button

What do you get when you cross a kangaroo with a unicorn? A kangacorn? A uniroo? Whichever; I think I have found one!

This is a figural (or realistic or goofy) MOP self shanked button. As the needle hole in the shank is very fine, it is possibly pre WW2. Whoever designed this, they did not know what a kangaroo looks like! The ear should be set on the back of the head like on the conventional (i.e. not shaped like the subject) below.

An Early Set of Figural Buttons

This is known as the “Ladies Travelling Set” and dates probably from the late 1940s. certainly it was described in a booklet of ‘goofies’ in 1951. The description of the set as approved by the National Button Society from 1954 follows.

I have seen examples in red plastic with black trim, black with white, light blue with pink, dark blue with red, pink with light blue, green with dark blue, brown with red, white with red, and cream with red.Some writers claim it is rarer to have the complete set of 6 buttons, as they were often sold without the belt. I have also seen a card with only 4 of the items.

 Cards with this trademark are often printed with ‘Made in USA’. Does anyone know what company this was?

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