Kings Colonial Badges original or fake?

[popskipa]

I would welcome the comments of the forum, are these badges original or fakes?

Thank you, Keith

[popskipa]

Back.

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Other.

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And finally...

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[peter monahan]

The quality is good, which argues for them being real, but it appears that these are higly desireable and, I assume, therefore expensive and that the copists are at work on at least the Aussie badge. This kind of scarce piece are becoming mnore common for copying, at least partly because it is harder to find known 'good' examples for comparison. I recently purchased, quite cheaply, two 'rare' badges which I believe but will never be sure are real, simplky because of the circumstances: very rare cadet unit but the badge was on a board of bog sandard stuff in an antique barn out in the country. Quite possibly too good to be true!

Just did a quick scan for 'King's Colonials fakes' and several threads from this forum pop up, including this one: http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...ings+colonials

The link above mentions several clues for separating the re-strikes from the originals but I think the ultimate message is 'Caveat Emptor'. I assume these were sold/are being sold as a collection, perhaps of some anitquity, and the fact that there are a set may be significant. I would think that suggests authenticity, but I'm certainly no expert. The provenance may be important here.

I hope this is some small help.

[Bhall1692]

It's hard to tell if it's original or fake by just looking at the pictures. If you really wanna try to identify its authenticity, use a magnifying glass. Pay close attention to the lines in the badge (i.e. wing feathers, eagle's nose, etc. The original badges will have sharp, well defined lines. The reproductions tend to be smoother.

[Rockape]

Keith,

Thank you for posting your badges. I am a collector of this unit and have seen quite a few examples of badges.

Here is my view on your badges.

The original badges were privately purchased by the unit raised by funds from overseas. They all have something in common which is hard but not impossible to fake, in that they were made from either Yellow metal (yellow brass) or Gilt. You may find some examples in bronze, but these may have been altered by the wearer to appear bronze.

If your badges have signs of being yellow metal or traces of gilt it would be a promising start.

Australasian
I have never seen a genuine example and have not seen any photographic evidence the headdress badge or collars were worn or even existed.

American
Fakes are really difficult to spot from genuine. I would need to see it in the hand to stand any chance.

Asian
Usually the easiest to spot the genuine. The skull, ear, tail and undergrowth are distinct from the numerous copies that abound. I'm not keen on your example.

Kiwi
By comparison to the other squadrons, there are more of these in circulation and quite easy to get a genuine one.

African
The Ostrich head is distinctive on the genuine badge. Again many copies exist. Examination with a magnifying glass is recommended.

Australian
The head is distinctive on the genuine badge (much broader than copies). Difficult to find.