Chase, thanks for posting this info on the Bureau of Military Information, and clearing up a years-old mystery. After reading your post, I googled BMI and the first item I clicked on took me to the CIA web site...lol.

Actually, I assumed the abbreviation BMI stood for "Brunswick Mounted Infantry," or some such, based on the picture below. As you can see, this BMI uniform button, between a penny and nickel in size, has a New Jersey state affiliation at the bottom. I wonder if other BMI buttons had crossed sabers denoting cavalry, or devices of other types of units.

This button is one of 10 standard buttons and 5 cuff buttons, all BMI-NJ, that I found in my late mother’s sewing table as we were clearing out her house. These buttons are all stamped SCOVILL MFG CO. WATERBURY, CT on the back.

The sharp eye will notice a typo on this button—no period after the I. The cuff buttons all have the period.

I’d be interested in anything else you find out about BMI.

Thanks,
Paul