The Civil War Relicman, Harry Ridgeway
	Winchester, Virginia  Civil War buttons bought and sold
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Ridgeway Reference Archive, Civil War buttons
Catalog of button backmarks
Smith Kemp Wright, England

Smith Kemp Wright was an English producer, believed to have produced many of the Confederate buttons smuggled through the blockade.  The backmark "Superior Quality" was the principal backmark used, and this generic term may have been intended to disguise the origin.  Indeed the disguise was pretty good, as there is still debate today among collectors at to exactly what is the origin of this backmark! 

Most information on this page is from Tice's book, Dating Buttons..., the pictures are generally from buttons that I have handled.  

SmithKemp03Small, (15mm)
 
Backmark: "SKW (reversed) in a graphic on top of a diamond shape surrounding the shank  / EXTRA RICH",  dm,  English manufacture by Smith Kemp Wright, (SmithKemp03Small).
Tice page 177, count 3  with modification.

B5760     Confederate officer button, eagle facing right with 11 stars on a lined field with border, English wartime manufacture, SKW Extra Rich, (15.5mm)

B4869     Confederate infantry button, lined "I", English import, SKW Extra Rich with graphic, (15.7mm) Recovered: Charleston, South Carolina.   Ref: Albert CS172 (not listed), Tice CSI203Am1.

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SmithKemp04, (20mm)

Backmark: "SMITH KEMP & WRIGHT/ (dot) BIRMINGHAM (dot) " dm, outer ring of dots, inner ring of sunrays, English maker, (SmithKemp04).
Two part low convex coat size button, well made button bearing the maker's name, most buttons believed to have been produced by Smith Kemp Wright employed generic marks or agents names. Shank is fixed, not floating.
Tice page 177, count 4  with modification.

B4290     Confederate artillery button, lined "A" on plain background with border, English import, Smith Kemp Wright, (19.5mm) Ref: Albert CS103, not listed, Tice CSA206B2, mischaracterized.