Coldstream Guard's button token, c1780 © The Foundling Museum

This button is an example of one of the many Foundling Hospital tokens - small identifying objects left with babies on admission to the Hospital. The button is made of bone backed with gilded metal folded over it which indicates it belonged to an officer - the rank and file’s buttons were made of pewter. The original owner, probably the child’s father, is likely to have fought in the American Revolution.