Thank you for your observations Thomas, and others too. The seller, who I have known for years, was unsure if the badge was WW2 or post-WW2, due to the tampering with the Hallmark, and as it was not very expensive I thought worth a punt. It is clearly post-WW2 and my own view is that at some time someone deliberately messed with the date letter of the Hallmark, at that time to deceive. It may still of course be a fake, however I will keep it in my own box of questionable items, there are a few after the last 45 years or so of collecting! Regards, Clive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fougasse1940
Brendan O'Carroll in his Kiwi Scorpions book has this specififc badge design described and illustrated as: 'Reproduction LRDG badges produced in white alloy and bronze. These were made in the 1970's by Russell King Badges for the British LRDG Association.'
This to me implies the Association was OK with this design differing from the original badges, perhaps we collectors are overthinking originality?
Mind you O'Carroll doesn't mention hallmarked silver but I can imagine this hallmarked one being made for a veteran or a relative, possibly as a private one-off commision.
The notion that a bona fide hallmark is grafted into a bogus badge seems practically impossible to me, wouldn't the silver need to be (semi-)liquid to seamlessly fuse and the hallmarks then lose their detail? Perhaps this might work on something larger, but on something this small?
If made to decieve, wouldn't it be easier to fake the stamps? Why isn't the maker mark yet identified?
Rgds, Thomas
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