Hope you had a Merry Christmas buttoneers!

This card of buttons arrived just before Christmas:

The design is too subtle to see from a distance, but the buttons are scotty dog heads from Western Germany.

Western Germany was created in 1949 when the U.S.A., Great Britain, and France consolidated those zones, or portions, of Germany that they had occupied at the end of WW2. When East and West were reunited in 1990, West Germany’s constitution and official name (Federal Republic of Germany) were adopted by the unified whole.

From 1887 until WW2 items for export were marked “Made in Germany” or “Germany”. From around 1945-49, goods, if marked, were marked “Made in Germany US – Military Zone”. From 1949 until 1952-22 they reverted to “Made in Germany”, but wishing to distinguish themselves from the East, they then changed to “Made in West(ern) Germany” although this was not mandated. The buttons above marketed by Walkers therefore date from around the mid-1950s.

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