PPCLI Anodised Badges

[Snowdrop 68]

Guys,

I bought these the other day for about £5. I have never seen these in AA (staybrite) before.

The collars are maker marked Firmin London but no MM on the titles.

Are these OK? If so, can anyone shed any light on them and when they would have been worn?

Thanks again, Bill

[Bill A]

Hi Bill, If by okay, you mean not repros, yes they are okay. A couple of Canadian regiments have purchased AA badges for their kit shops.

[Snowdrop 68]

Thanks Bill, I did think it a bit unusual that they were anodised.

All the best, Bill

[ddaydodger]

All the CF issue badges are anodised, plastic, cheap; pick a word you prefer. The Kit Shops tend to sell higher quality badges, in the case of the PPCLI that would be brass and WM. The anodised badges have been issued for at least 30 years now, probably longer; once stocks ran out of the 1960s badges. The PPCLI were using anodised badges for full dress (band)as early as the mid 60s.

[Bill A]

Bruce, I am not sure what you mean by all CF issue badges being anodised, plastic? Are you referring to the enamel branch badges, or all badges for the CF? Anodized badges are coated (a metal, especially aluminum) with a protective oxide layer by an electrolytic process in which the metal forms the anode. A handful of CF badges are anodised type, but anodised is not a typical finish or manufacturing process used in Canada. Some anodized badges were purchased from the UK, specifically the PPCLI and RCR had orders. The badges are notable in that they are much lighter feeling than the Cdn made badges. CF badges were plated/coated using different methods, most often a heavy plating of a gilting silvering material. Most CF badges are made from a cast or pot metal and are not plastic, and many are still die struck or die cast. (Espeically regimental badges.)
I think we may be using one term to describe two different processes.

[Phillip Herring]

A bit of clarification - Current issue CF badges are coated/plated to give them a staybright finish as Bill has stated. In the British badge world anodized refers to the coated/plated aluminum badges - Anodized Aluminum. There have been some Canadian badges made of anodized aluminum, and I believe these have been discussed previously in the forum.
In many cases, Canadian kit shop badges are made of gilding metal (Brass) as they were prior to unification.

People use the term anodized to refer to the plating process often seen on Canadian badges 1940s - 1960s.

[ddaydodger]

I have seen CF badges made of plastic, and coated with a shiny plastic material. I have seen what the British refer to AA, anodized aluminium. My comment was that CF badges are made as cheaply as possible, either anodized over a base metal; or a coated plastic; or the many other ways you can produce toy like badges. (Break a badge in half and you can see that certain badges, especially 70-80s badges are cheap plastic). Early unification badges were gold (yes, real gold) anodized.

Anodized: to subject (a metal) to electrolytic action as the anode of a cell in order to coat with a protective or decorative film.

Not necessarily aluminium.

The PPCLI collar badge produced by Firmin in the top picture is AA.

No CF badge produced today is made of brass (gilding metal), wm, silver etc.

[Bill A]

Bruce, I would like to know which CF badges were made of plastic. I have a large accumulation, and I can't find a single one that is plastic.
Many CF badges in my possession are made of a "pot metal" probably a zinc alloy, which was then plated and enamelled. Some white meta badges are also plated, but scratching the back reveals.... more white metal.(Lorne Scots, Essex & Kent Scottish, GGHG, Roy Nfld Regt (gilt finish, with chrome overlays, SD & G etc etc) The Algonquin badges I have are die pressed wm. Some badges are die struck and others are die cast, but I can't find a plastic one among them.
Most Canadian badges are "dip" plated not anodized or electro plated. This is a similar material as that found in places like Canadian Tire that guys use to "plate" their medals.

[Phillip Herring]

There was an episode of How It's Made that showed the generic CF buttons (with the lion) being made. They are plastic with a coating.

[Bill A]

Not buttons Phil. I know that there were anodised buttons made for the Cdn Gds, Corps of
Commissionaires plus I think the RHC? They were plastic and coated, and early 60's. There is a fair bit of documentation about them in the LAC files.
But I can't find any CF cap badges in plastic. Were there any collars? I seem to recall Signals branch collars that were an odd material.