1916 economy TF essex or not?

[Alan O]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/0963-10-B...p2047675.l2557

Top right badge - fake or fortune?

[Sonofacqms]

I was watching this lot, but was not convinced as to it's authenticity, it looked too new to me.

Rob

[Keith Blakeman]

Originally Posted by Sonofacqms

I was watching this lot, but was not convinced as to it's authenticity, it looked too new to me.

Rob

I think it looked a bit rough, possible excavated and seriously cleaned. Mine is similar although looks to have had the EGYPT erased..

[Phil2M]

Andy Plewa liked them enough to buy them.

[Frank Kelley]

!

[Luke H]

Originally Posted by Keith Blakeman

I think it looked a bit rough, possible excavated and seriously cleaned. Mine is similar although looks to have had the EGYPT erased..

Hard to be 100% sure from the angle of the badge in the eBay picture but it appears to be from the same die as yours Keith. The 1st floor turret doors are distinctive - the keystone in the middle one and one to viewers right go into points but left one is oval.

Good stamping and nice slider. IMO doesn’t look new, just clean. I recently won a genuine Drake RND from this seller, that badge was in remarkably mint condition (aside from the damaged loop that wasn’t evident in the picture) so perhaps it’s from the same collection.

... all in all I’d have been tempted.

[Terry Rayner]

Hello Troops
It is hard to tell the quality of a badge from a photo, if it was offered to me I think I would give it a miss.
There are a couple of variants of this badge, some have a gap between the castle walls and the oak leaves, some have this gap filled in as per the photo.
To me it does not look right, may be its a Lambourne & Co?
Regards Terry

[Nozzer]

Originally Posted by Terry Rayner

may be its a Lambourne & Co?

I don't think so Terry, the Essex "Lambourne" is very distinctive. I am yet to discover if Lambourne made a 1916 all GM Essex blank scroll, although they did bake a BIM one as we know.

If I had spotted the one in the link in the opening post, I probably would have gone for it.

[Terry Rayner]

Now that there are many repo's on the market, and a lot of different manufactures who made these badges, I would hang out for a badge that I was happy with. This badge in question has an extra large chain, looks too new, and the right turret is falling to the right. If you check out some of the H.P.C.'s for example on ebay, to the Essex Regt, the Sphinx looks like it is full of gas and its eyes are going to pop out, others look like the Sphinx is too heavy for the castle and the towers are collapsing, I think this badge comes in that category.
Regards Terry

[Alan O]

Terry

All good points. Not for me either.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts. All brass badges once again prove to be a minefield.

Alan

[Nozzer]

I think given the price paid and the badges in the lot, the purchaser had nothing to lose.

Without even looking at the other badges to much, there are a couple of good ones. Even at boot sale prices, you would be on the money.

I will be checking a certain dealers offerings (assuming they didn't want it for their collection) for better pictures.

I think you could all do with being a little less cautious and perhaps take a chance now and then? I often do and more often then not walk away a little smug

[Luke H]

In the fake or fortune stakes this one is absolutely fake: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Essex-Reg...8371%7Ciid%3A1

I’d even go as far as saying it’s a very naughty forgery.

Looking closely you can see that the badge has been doctored. The blank tablet doesn’t quite fit and has actually been brazed on which is completely wrong for a original 1916 GM badge which should be a single stamping by definition.

Also the Firmin mark is wrong and that notwithstanding Firmin didn’t mark sliders in WW1.

One to avoid.

[Gooner]

Got to agree Luke, this really is not good