Guilding on the back of badges - a good sign?
 

In my long and (too) often poor choices in obtaining p/t Scottish glengarries I have often wondered about badges which have relatively fresh guilding on the back but polished/patina to the front. Is this a good sign of authenticity? I say this because i wondered if guilding is a hard process to achieve and therefore makes forgery more difficult? I realise there are probably more noticeable points to look for but I was just curious.

Bryan

Hi. This might help.Many years ago i paid quite a lot of money for an Frontiersman officers fire gilt cap badge.Showing it around i was told that it was probably a copy. I showed it to my friend Norman Litchfield, Who said hand on heart that he could'nt say either way. I sent it to a Arms and Armour saleroom in the south east (No names no pack drill.)who told me that it was a copy and then consequently lost the badge.Eventually i was told by a friend of Norman that the badge indeed was genuine but that it had been re-fire-gilded on the front and reverse. This i was told made it a wrong badge because fire gilded badges on Frontier officers cap badges anyway were only gilded on the face of the badge . Marybrad.

Hi Bryan
In principle I think your correct. The problem is I don't think people fully understand what fire gilt reality is.
Many of my fire gilt badges have that patchy around the edge overflow look to the rear.
The correct process generally isn't done anymore due to the dangerous to health fumes.
Having said this, I still take every badge on face value and other key features are taken into consideration.

Thank you both very much for the replies, it is most appreciated. I guess as you say it is one more clue out of many that might point to a badges authenticity.

Thanks again

Bryan