Hello all,
It's been a while since I posted much on the forums due to other commitments, but I hope you are well?
Collecting is an odd hobby, nothing is ever quite straight forward and often researching only confuses the issue and doesn't bring that clear cut answer. From reading various forums over the years I heard veterans say that they had been issued postwar garments with King's Crown buttons, this makes life very hard for a collector and for me personally a uniform or cap with the wrong "crowned" buttons or badge starts warning bells.
However, I recently picked up a Royal Marine's peak cap which I first believed was a lightweight version, although upon handling it, it clearly has vinyl features yet all else is the typical wartime characteristic with King's crown buttons, which seem original to the cap. As the cap dates to the late 1950s it is interesting that old KC stock was still being used, and confirms the memories from the late 1950s 1960s that I remember reading on the forums (although where?).
Almost to confirm the matter a 1955 Royal Marine greatcoat is being offered for sale at the moment with.... yep that's right King's crown buttons.