Cambridgeshire Regiment badges

[Alan Y]

Hello all

I have two Cambridgeshire Regiment badges with both variations of spelling of Cambridgeshire, one with and one without the e. I’m a bit unsure about the new-looking one but the other appears to look much older. Are either of these copies or re-strikes ?
If the older one is OK, should I clean it of leave it as it is ? If it is cleaned, what would be the best way to do that ?

Thanks in advance – Alan.

Cambs 1.JPG Cambs 2.JPG Cambs 3.JPG Cambs 4.JPG

[Sonofacqms]

As to whether you clean this badge is entirely up to you, if you do decide to clean the badge I suggest soap and water to start with, nothing too harsh.

[Alan Y]

Thanks Sonofacqms

I’ve used a nylon toothbrush with soap and lightly brushed it and very little came off, so I’ve left it at that for now. The image shown is the result of this and I haven’t tried to clean it since. I suppose it would be a shame to destroy the patination if it’s genuine.

Regards Alan Y

[Tinto]

Hi Alan,
The tarnished badge looks good to me. Not sure about the shiny one.
Cheers, Tinto

[Alan O]

The shiny one is the more honest. I don't like such mottling as it smacks of deliberate aging. I prefer the look of the first one.

[Alan Y]

Thanks Tinto & Alan O.

I’ve had a look on the Gallery and I saw a badge posted by 54Bty which was listed as a fake or repro which looks similar to the bright badge, so I was a bit unsure of this one.
The shape of the other one looked more like a genuine badge, but like Alan O, I thought when I got the badge it looked as if the patination was a bit excessive, but it feels like a very strong and firm badge, so I’m still not sure of this one either.

Regards Alan Y.

[cbuehler]

I agree with Alan, the shiny badge looks good to me. The other Cambs badge is actually corroded not any sort of patina that I would call pleasing at all.

CB

[Alan Y]

Thanks cbuehler

I’m beginning to feel more confident about the first badge now.
The other is more or less as it was after it arrived when I bought it. The surface finish does not come off easily like some fake ageing I’ve had on a couple of modern copies. As you suggest, I think it is corrosion rather than natural ageing patination.
I’ve just looked at the first badge again and this is also a very firm badge, the slider slightly less firm, but not as soft as a restrike slider which I have come across.

Regards Alan

Hello Alan,

Can't really tell from your photo, but the second badge looks as though it might have red paint on the castle. Can you confirm either way?

Regards,

Peter.

[Sonofacqms]

I have just looked at the Cambridgeshire badge with the missing "e" issued to my Father in law when stationed at Weeting Hall, this was when the missing "e" was first noticed and they were all supposed to be returned, although I think His might have slipped the net. It is die-struck and the brass scroll superimposed over the white metal.

They were issued to the Home Guard and Cadet units around the county and the surprising thing is the number of these "mistakes" that are around.

The dirty badge looks to me as though it has been buried or burnt, only an opinion.

[Alan Y]

Hello Peter

It’s perhaps not the best picture I’ve taken !! It’s a bit difficult to tell under artificial light but it does look a reddish colour, whatever it is on the surface. I’ve just tried to remove some with my finger nail and it fells a bit like a dried varnish rather than a paint. Whatever it is it doesn’t come off easily.
The area between the castle and the scroll appears to have a rust-coloured deposit on it, which has also spread onto the top of the scroll. There are a few bright areas on the scroll where the brass or gilding-metal shows through.
Could this have been varnished at some point and the varnish aged and discoloured ?

Regards Alan Y

Anybody's guess I suppose, Alan.

All of the above theories seem to hold water; it's just one of those 'do I, or don't I?' questions when it comes to badge cleaning.

I'd be reluctant to consign it to the fake/copy/restrike category though - I cannot see anything from your photo that would immediately stand out as not genuine. However, without seeing it in the flesh, and given its present condition, it's not easy to make a judgement, especially from a photo.

There are a few 'To Clean or Not to Clean' threads here on the forum - I wonder if you have read any of them?

Cheers, mate,

PJ

[Alan Y]

Thanks Peter

I’ve read a couple of threads on the forum concerning cleaning and some of the results shown are remarkable, before and after images are really impressive. I am very tempted to clean this, but also am a bit afraid of destroying the finish if it has built up over many years.
Without having experience of doing this myself, I would not like to damage it beyond repair, so perhaps I’ll leave it as it is for now and have another look for some advice and results on other members threads before I decide.
It’s good to know there are no obvious signs of a repro at the moment.

Regards Alan

Alan,

Probably the best decision, in my opinion.

I think the decision to clean a badge can perhaps often be partly dependent upon the badge itself. By this I mean that if it is a particularly rare badge, then the decision to clean it and possibly risk damage would be more difficult to make than if it were a more common, easily sourced and inexpensive badge.

Thanks for sharing them though.

All the best,

Peter.

[2747andy]

Originally Posted by Alan Y

Hello all

I have two Cambridgeshire Regiment badges with both variations of spelling of Cambridgeshire, one with and one without the e. I’m a bit unsure about the new-looking one but the other appears to look much older. Are either of these copies or re-strikes ?
If the older one is OK, should I clean it of leave it as it is ? If it is cleaned, what would be the best way to do that ?

Thanks in advance – Alan.

Attachment 36358 Attachment 36359 Attachment 36360 Attachment 36361

Alan,
the bright one is Good and the Dirty one a Restrike. There are several indications, the main being that the slider is fitted in the wrong position!

Andy