Manchester 1st V.B.
 

Could anyone tell me if this badge is real and give advice as to what to look for in the original manchester v b badges

Very fake.

There are several good Manchester threads. If you search ‘Manchester’ and ‘Volunteer’ in the forum’s search engine they should come up.

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ctureid=162345

I think this one is genuine.

Certainly a genuine example.

As is this one: https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ctureid=183279

The badge in the opening post is a FAKE.

Lots of pointers, colour, font, mark under the 1VB and the footed loops.

regards

is this 2nd V B one real, if not how do you tell the fakes

here are the others i have got are they any good also

Dave S,

All the ones you show are Fakes.

Lots of reasons, but heres a few pointers.

Never had sliders.
Only the 2nd VB was bimetal
Footed loops are a sign of a fake.
The one with a T fixed to it is a pure fantasy.
A WW1 all brass economy badge doesnt exist.

regards

ok thanks

hi simon yes sorry for that i have not been buying for long and am realizing that it is a true minefield and am wondering whether to give up badges for collecting as god knows what other horrors i have bought and lost money on, thanks for your help anyways
dave

badges
 

Hi Dave,

if you enjoy collecting badges, don't give up. This forum is full of friendly collectors who would be willing to help you in determining if a badge is good. I only started collecting a few years ago and , like you, made quite a few mistakes by jumping in and buying badges sometimes on ebay or from poor dealer sites. I quickly learned to check on here before purchasing higher value badges and found it better to purchase badges from fellow members on here or from dealers with a good reputation on the forum.

Mark

I would strongly advise against buying VB badges as the vast majority for sale are fakes. The VB badges were often to singe units and worn for only a few years before the 1908 reforms. Start with something more recent and made in greater numbers!

I would echo Alan’s comments. If new to the hobby V.B.’s are not perhaps the best starting place since genuine badges are few, fakery prolific and mistakes expensive.

thanks for everyone's views and encouragement and maybe it would be better to pick something like the 1st or 2nd war periods which is where my interests generally lie

Both WW1 and WW2 are excellent themes. My advice would be to start with Infantry of the Line and Corps & Services then work up from there.

Beware there are lots of fakes but also a lot of genuine badges which can still be had for the £7-10 range so mistakes aren’t as costly as other disciplines.