NH title

[iaindh]

Hi All,

does anyone know what unit this is?

a 596.jpga 603.jpga 604.jpg

The optimist in me suggests Natal Hussars or Natal Horse.

It could be silver but no Hallmark.

thanks Iain

[Frank Kelley]

A clear image of it's reverse would certainly be helpful?

[Roy]

Hi Iain,

It's Nesbitt's Horse - a Boer War badge.

And if it needs a new home, I would love to hear from you!

Cheerio,

Roy

[iaindh]

Thanks Roy,

I always think of Nesbitt's horse with the full title.

regards,

Iain

Originally Posted by Roy

Hi Iain,

It's Nesbitt's Horse - a Boer War badge.

And if it needs a new home, I would love to hear from you!

Cheerio,

Roy

[Roy]

Hi Iain,

Yes but also just NH like your example.

Illustrated in Owen's as 2158.

Cheerio,

Roy

[iaindh]

Hi Roy,

yes I just checked Owen's and saw it.

I found one on the net, identical and it is a silver Officer's badge.

regards,

Iain

Originally Posted by Roy

Hi Iain,

Yes but also just NH like your example.

Illustrated in Owen's as 2158.

Cheerio,

Roy

[Frank Kelley]

Okay, thanks for the clear reverse image, it cannot be the Natal Hussars, whilst I believe that example is Nesbitts Horse (Colin Owen made a considerable number of omissions and more importantly, errors in his book!) may I ask how you know it is an officers badge?

[Roy]

Hi Frank,

I'm certainly no expert but from chatting with more experienced South African collectors, I recall that if silver then it is recognized as an officers slouch hat badge, or so I understand.

Cheerio,

Roy

[iaindh]

this is the link for the one I saw on the net.

http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/17232...LE_2_LUGS.html

The seller is a recognised and experienced dealer.

regards, Iain

[Frank Kelley]

Gentlemen, I very much doubt that they were worn solely by just officers, they certainly seemed to me, at least, to be encountered far too often, Nesbitts Horse was raised in Grahamstown on the 29th of December 1899 and certainly had a considerable number of members throughout until Vereeniging and beyond, moreover, silver badges were certainly worn by the rank and file within the SAMIF and are only very seldom unique to officers.

[Roy]

Hi Frank,

Thank you for that, I'm sure you are correct. Wish such thing I feel there was rarely a black and white situation and these days, many years later, we can just generalize.

Cheerio,

Roy

[iaindh]

You could well be right Frank, Nesbitt's Horse was apparently a rich outfit, but I do doubt that every rank and file had a silver badge but.... one never knows.

Lekker slaap

Originally Posted by Frank Kelley

Gentlemen, I very much doubt that they were worn solely by just officers, they certainly seemed to me, at least, to be encountered far too often, Nesbitts Horse was raised in Grahamstown on the 29th of December 1899 and certainly had a considerable number of members throughout until Vereeniging and beyond, moreover, silver badges were certainly worn by the rank and file within the SAMIF and are only very seldom unique to officers.

[Frank Kelley]

Gentlemen,
I just go off what I could see when I collected, some organisations were tiny, if you encountered a silver badge, then yes, it might well have been worn by an officer, the famous Vallentin's Heidelburg Volunteers, in effect, merely a District Mounted Troop, a particular case in point, for example.

[Traist]

Hi All, Frank is correct. Especially from the Eastern Cape, there were many badges made in silver for all. Many of these were made by the jeweler in King Williams Town. There are some units that you very seldomly find silver badges for, but brass is more common. On these I would lean towards officers for the silver. Regards Andrew.

[Frank Kelley]

To generalise is really to merely start speculating, an awful lot of collectors do that, in particular, sadly, badge collectors, not something I would ever recommend and not something I would want to do myself.

Originally Posted by Roy

Hi Frank,

Thank you for that, I'm sure you are correct. Wish such thing I feel there was rarely a black and white situation and these days, many years later, we can just generalize.

Cheerio,

Roy