Cavalry cap badges - spotting the fakes

[Alan O]

I will be gradually adding to this thread with examples of how to spot a genuine cavalry cap badge compared to the fakes.

Cavalry regiments were relatively small compared to Infantry and Corps, did not have TF battalions or cadets, did not raise duplicate or Service battalions. This meant that only a small number of badges were made and the number of dies used are relatively few. So unlike the Infantry badges the number of genuine variants are few which does help spotting fakes.

[Alan O]

The KDG wore a scrolled eagle badge from the late 1890's until 1915 when the eagle badge was dropped.

The genuine ones are in brass with a slider (circa 1905) or with 2 lugs (pre 1903).

There is a common fake die with key flaws:

1. Lugs on the scroll not on the chest.
2. Reverse is not well struck - presumably through over use so early ones might be sharper.

[Alan O]

Not commonly faked but fakes do exist that are easy to spot due to poor reverse details and voiding.
QVC fake is (Pic 1-2) compared the genuine badge in Pic 3-4.

There was a subsequent KC version on a slider. (Pic 5-6) The originals had a brass wire to strengthen the neck. I do not know if there was a 1902-3 lugged KC version but have not seen one I would buy.

KC fakes lack the wire, have poor voiding and can have lugs.

QVC fake is (Pic 1-2)

[Alan O]

The genuine Vic badges have 3 lugs and a brasing hole. (Pic 7&8)
The post 1905 badges with sliders have 2 versions of the numeral 3 - it's a maker's variant with the early ones having a flat top 3 and the WW1 ones from a different maker with a rounded 3. A maker's die variation. (Pic 9-12)

There are several fake dies:

The 'dumpy feathers' seen in the MM catalogue often with JR Gaunt.London fake mark. (pic 1&2)
There are '1916' all brass fakes which are all fake as there was not an all brass version of this badge.(3&4)
There is one particular fake found in brass and bi-m with a distinctive font with distorted elongated letters.
There is a 3rd fake die with an overlaid scroll. (5&6) This type of construction is not period but seen on commercial Royal Hussars cap badges that were bought in the 1980/90s.

[Alan O]

First issued with 2 lugs (1-2) and then sliders. (5-6)

This genuine on has clear striking and brasing holes.

The MM fake lacks them and the font is modern. (pic 3-4)

The all brass badges are all fakes.

[Alan O]

First issued with QVC with lugs (Pic 1-2) and later a KC with a slider. Worn after amalgamation until circa 1929 when the VDG white metal cap badge was introduced.

The originals all have the centre inset so the w/m circle is viewable from the reverse.

There are both QVC (3-4) and KC fakes and these tend to have overlaid centres and a modern font.

There was a 1916 Economy cap badge on a slider. (5-6) This was the only Dragoon Guards regiment to have an economy.

[Alan O]

First issued with Victorian crown and then a KC with a slider.

Widely faked so I would always look for and inset centre and brasing holes. Also the title scroll should be overlaid w/m.

There was not a 1916 econ version and certainly not a lugged one.

Several fake dies exist.

[Alan O]

First issued in w/m with 3 lugs (pic 1-2). Later badges were fitted with a long slider c.1903 for the Brodrick. My example has the braise for the 3 lugs. (Pic 9-10)

Copies have only 2 lugs (5-6) and often a void above the scroll and below the lion. (3-4)

A brass version was introduced circa 1906 with a different pattern lion. This was slidered. (Pic 11-12)

The brass badge was worn by the 7th DG Sqn within the amalgamated 4th/7th until 1930.

The brass fakes include some from a die with a skinny, goggle-eyed lion courtesy of the MM catalogue. (11-12) The tail is pointed unlike the originals where the tail is broader.

[Alan O]

In 1915 the Eagle badge was dropped for a rather unattractive star and garter cap badge. This was issued on a slider for wear in the cap. There were at least 2 makers. The first used a large void behind the brass centre and the second used 2 brasing holes. This is also found with a brass reinforcing wire.

There was a 1916 economy version. (3-4) which has been faked (9-10)

The copies 5-14) come with lugs or sliders, lack the brasing hole/s and also comes in all brass. There is more than one fake die and JR Gaunt.London sliders exist.

[Alan O]

In the late 1930's the KDG asked to return to the eagle badge but his time without the scroll.

A brass version (pic 1 &2) was issued with a rather distinctive pointed crown. The regt hated it and bought white metal ones. The issued one was on a slider but the private purchases were on lugs or sliders. Eventually issued badges were made in w/m.

The QDG badges were issued in a/a and there is a slight change in the eagle design. Once again the troopers bought their own badges. They come in w/m, chrome (pic 5 &6) and a/a.

The proliferation of private purchase means that it is hard to rule out the genuine ones from the fakes.

In recent years it has been QDG 'fashion' to polish the chest smooth

[Alan O]

The 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards) title was introduced in 1928 and a new cap badge results. From 1922-8 the 3rd/6th DG had worn the old regiments' cap badges but in 1928 all hopes of being split back to 2 regiments were gone so they decoded to standardise a single regiment identity.

The badge has been faked so unless they have the brasing holes and the hairpin slider I would regard it as a fake. The drilled hole in the slider is normal (no one knows exactly why) and fakes have had their sliders drilled by the crooks.

An a/a version does exist.

[Alan O]

Retitled in 1927 with a new regimental title having previously been the 5th/6th Dragoons from 1922. Again a new cap badge resulted with a s/p date of 30/1/29 according to K&K..

The K/C badge was replaced by a St Edward's crown version but it is not clear whether a w/m version was ever issued until an a/a version was authorised in the 1950s and worn in early 1960's.

Widely faked as can be seen from the screenshots. Mine is a Firmin made badge (Pic 1-2) . The 2 fakes are from different dies as can be seen by the differences in voiding between all 3 badges. (3-6)

The St Edward's crown badges are widely repro-d even today.(7-8) It's possible PRI badges were bought and worn so provenance is everything with those.

[Alan O]

The regiment was formed in 1922. I believe the originals were issued with sliders.

An a/a version was issued.

The cap badge was worn up to 1992. Widely copied and still sold by the regtl assn on lugs (pic 1)

The badge in 3-4 is Firmin marked and as such I believe to be an issued item.

They were latterly issued in a/a.

[Alan O]

The Royals had a QVC cap badge with 3 lugs (pic 1-2)
This was followed by a KC version.
The regiment decided that they prefered a lone eagle design in brass and unofficially wore this badge prior and into WW1 but reverted to their original badge in the second half of the war. They readopted this badge before changing back again in mid-WW2 to the SP badge on black berets.

The QVC fakes are easy to spot because the scrolls are overlaid and not tagged on. Also most lack the 3rd lug. (3-6)

The kc fakes are harder to spot but the Gaunt mark is a giveaway and any unmarked badges from that die should be discarded. (7-8)

The brass eagle command circa £100 and has also been faked it appears. The 106 on the copy is much smaller the the plinth. (9-10)

The post WW2 bimetal badge has also been faked (11-12 and 17-18).

My original bi-metal badge is 13-14. This is the 'ghost' D of dragoons die and there are other genuine ones from other makers.

The lone eagle from what is regarded as the genuine die is 15-16. I have 6 or so of these in the last 10 years and not one has any sign of wear or polish.

The original post-WW2 Gaunt London (large font) 1 Dragoons cap badge is at Pics 19-20. The head is noticeably different to the 2 copy dies.

[Alan O]

The same badge was worn for the whole of the regiment's existence on lugs and then on a slider. (Pic 1-2)

The fakes come in all brass, bi-m and w-m. (3-8) There was not an 1916 version.