Devonshire Regt query

[Sonofacqms]

I have had this badge for some time and I am not sure of when or how it was worn.

It has a low Victorian crown, loops and is made from Gilding metal (brass).

Is it a cap badge or an OSD collar with the bronzing cleaned off, your thoughts welcome.

Rob

[fougasse1940]

Doesn't OSD date from after the Victorian Crown era?

Rgds, Thomas

[grenadierguardsman]

Rob, it looks cast to me.
Andy

[Sonofacqms]

Andy, it's a strange badge, it looks as though its been die-struck and the crown and top rays of the star have been ground down. Maybe this was a poor strike that was rectified by use of a grindstone.

As for the crown being the low Victorian type, I believe these were used long after the death of Queen Victoria as were the Regimental castles on badges such as the Suffolk Regt which should never have been made.

Rob

[manchesters]

Originally Posted by grenadierguardsman

Rob, it looks cast to me.
Andy

Looks cast to me also.

regarsd

[Sonofacqms]

OK chaps, it's cast, my mistake although my real question is when and where was it worn, cap or collar?

Rob

[Luke H]

For me the problem with all such cast badges is that whilst they could well have been made contemporaneously in the field/bazaars on campaigns or postings in Africa/Asia, they could just have easily been made any time up to last week in India or Pakistan using the same techniques.

Granted this one looks like it has age to it but without provenance I feel there’s no empirical way to definitely say where it was made, by who, for what purpose (cap, collar, souvenir, repro), or when.

Cheers,
Luke

[Sonofacqms]

Originally Posted by Luke H

For me the problem with all such cast badges is that whilst they could well have been made contemporaneously in the field/bazaars on campaigns or postings in Africa/Asia, they could just have easily been made any time up to last week in India or Pakistan using the same techniques.

Granted this one looks like it has age to it but without provenance I feel there’s no empirical way to definitely say where it was made, by who, for what purpose (cap, collar, souvenir, repro), or when.

Cheers,
Luke

My ruling on cast badges is generally to see where a Regiment of Corps served, some have never served in any of the cast badge hotspots such as the Far or Middle East and I would be very suspicious of them.

Also I never pay much for them, so they are really curiosities, interesting to a point, as Luke says this one has some age to it.

Thanks for your comments Rob

[Toby Purcell]

Many of these cast badges were made for the khitmatgar and staff of officers’ and sergeants’ messes and worn in their pagris.