I must admit I did have concerns about the 3rd, it was won very cheaply on ebay without competition which always worries me a bit with the amount of dealers out there are out there. Then the abbreviation of VOL without the small R which appears on all the other VB's plates. However, there was a recent huge collection of Essex badges at Lockdales from a long time Essex collector in which there was a KC plate with the missing R as well.
It appears Essex headress badges, glengarry, plates and cap badges appear in blackened and white metal.