Colours of plastic badges

[Peter Brydon]

Finally managed to obtain an example of a bronze coloured Kings Liverpool plastic badge that I am happy with and that does not just look like a dirty grey example.

It did make me wonder what other regiments also had plastic badges manufactured in different colours ?

P.B.

[manchesters]

Peter,

That gold colour option seems a very rare beast with some badges.

I have been after a gold Royal Malta Artillery plastic badge, having got the, still uncommon, dark brown version already. One appeared in Bosleys many years ago so I know they exist.

Makes me wonder if there is a gold RA plastic cap badge also!

regards

[leigh kitchen]

I'd always assumed the wrong colour was just a manufacturers error.
Without checking I know I have West Yorks in silver grey & in copper colour & a Queen's West Surreys in silver grey painted light tan instead of made of light bronze coloured plastic.

[Alan O]

I used to have the GS one in bronze but rather foolishly parted with it as I didn't need it and a brown one.

[KLR]

A few years ago I went through the original plastic badge ledgers at the National Archives. Not only as there only one issue for the King's but I couldn't see any other multi colours for any other units.

[grey_green_acorn]

I suspect that this was a result of difficulties in achieving precise colouring during the early days of plastic moulding. If a usable badge was produced in the "wrong" colour it would have been wasteful to destroy it.

Tim

[fougasse1940]

The query of this thread excludes the Border Regt and Royal Scots which came with red centerpieces and the Royal Irish Fusiliers with light bronze grenade and separate grey crown. Apart from that, manay badges came in two or even more colours, and then there are the gold painted badges.

Rgds, thomas.

[badjez]

I always suspected that changes in colour, and shrinkage resulted from light exposure over the years.

Somewhere I recorded that in mid-1944 WO authority given to metallic spray paint plastic cap badges if needed. All work was undertaken by Alfred Stanley & Sons Ltd, irrespective of manufacturer. I have not managed to confirm this through official records yet.

Stephen.

[Paul Spellman]

The attached I posted in another thread, but a few colour variants can be seen.
I recently saw a grey Essex and gold ACC which I had only ever seen in chocolate. I think Alan Os album could be helpful too.
Paul

[Paul Spellman]

Image for above

[leigh kitchen]

Some colour changes are down to exposure to sunlight / the elements, the most notable to me being the dark brown badges, notably rank insignia, that change to a lighter brown or almost red.
Some badges though are definitely produced in the wrong coloured plastic.
Some silver grey were produced with a matt silver paint finish but I haven't got notes to hand re. dates & manufacturers.

[GTB]

Here's my GS versions

GTB

[leigh kitchen]

Is that a gold - sprayed or light bronze coloured plastic GS please?

[GTB]

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

Is that a gold - sprayed or light bronze coloured plastic GS please?

Possibly. That's the condition item came to me. If it may help, the back is chocolate colour, similar to its companion badge. I have often wondered what a gold coloured badge would signify.

GTB

[Alan O]

No significance but just painted to better match the colour of the brass ones. I used to own a grey HLI badge that had been factory-sprayed silver and a silver painted (bronze underneath) plastic Royal Scots one where someone had even hand-painted in the red centre.

There are considerable colour variance between 'silver'-'grey' - 'bronze' plastic badges to the extent that it is difficult to define which is the intended colour. I suspect some of this is due to fading with age and some variance due to the fact that there was a war on so they used what colouring they had to hand. However some, as shown by the King's one, are so different that they were clearly made different. Suffolks, East Lancashire, Hampshires and Notts and Derby are the most common to be found in both 'silver' and 'bronze' in large numbers.

Alan