WW1 Economy Essex Regiment

[tonyb]

Two recently acquired Essex economy cap badges, the badge on the right I like, the other I have my doubts, with its "Bull Headed" sphinx is this a know genuine pattern? I do like it's hairpin miscut slider.
Any comments are welcome.
Tony.

[Luke H]

The slider looks very similar to a brass Loyal Suffolk Hussars often encountered where the scroll has been ‘sprayed’ silver.

I recall discussing that particular LSH oddity with a very experienced Yeomanry collector. He did not regard them as genuine.

If it’s the same company, as it appears, then by extension the answer would logically be the same.

Personally not one I’d buy.

If my memory serves I did see another badge, sadly cannot recall to which regiment, that had an identical slider. I didn’t like the look of it either as I recall.

[tonyb]

Originally Posted by Luke H

The slider looks very similar to a brass Loyal Suffolk Hussars often encountered where the scroll has been ‘sprayed’ silver.

I recall discussing that particular LSH oddity with a very experienced Yeomanry collector. He did not regard them as genuine.

If it’s the same company, as it appears, then by extension the answer would logically be the same.

Personally not one I’d buy.

If my memory serves I did see another badge, sadly cannot recall to which regiment, that had an identical slider. I didn’t like the look of it either as I recall.

Thanks for your comments Luke.
Tony.

[Luke H]

Found the pics of the LSH.

[tonyb]

Yes look to be from the same stable.
Tony.

[Alan O]

This belonged to my Gradfather so has provenance.

[Luke H]

Originally Posted by Alan O

This belonged to my Gradfather so has provenance.

A nice badge.

Not the same die.

[Luke H]

A Royal Ulster Rifles with identical slider. Appears to have a plated / sprayed silver finish with underlying brass showing through on high points.

[Luke H]

And now a GviR Royal Engineers.

The detailing to the laurel leaf edges is interesting, think I read something a while ago about this being a trait on Canadian made RAF badges?

Could these be Canadian made possibly?

[tonyb]

Luke an excellent hypothesis.
Nice to see the two examples posted by yourself.
Tony.

[Alan O]

I can't think of a single tender for WW1 economy that was made overseas. Julian might know but badge production was dominated by UK firms.

[Luke H]

The Essex badge may not be an economy.

The RUR and LSH are both plated, so it may well be the Essex was too but this has now rubbed away or lost.

The plating on the LSH scroll does not extend to the reverse and is not very thick or robust on the front. My initial impression was someone had spray painted it.

[dubaiguy]

There are a couple of previous threads on the RE badge shown that can be found on the Forum.

There was a suggestion in the last thread that the RE badge along with a similarly detailed Military Police badge were manufactured in Germany immediately after the war.

I'm not sure if there is any truth in this, but if the Essex badge is from the same stable and had it's w/m parts sprayed with a very thin coat of silver paint, as per the Loyal Suffolks & RUR, then perhaps this just wore off giving a false impression of an economy. The badge does exhibit a fair amount of polish.

[dubaiguy]

I think we posted at the same time - but similar conclusion.

Here is one of the threads I mentioned.

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ad.php?t=87070

[popskipa]

A solid all brass Essex Regiment economy badge. I suspect fake but would welcome the opinions of the forum.

Photos beside a cut-out all brass badge.

Keith