16th Light Cavalry badge
 

Hello,

I am not an Indian badge collector, although I really wish I was when I see the variety and quality of the badges out there.

Anyway here is a 16th Light Cavalry Officers badge with a few questions.

1. It measures 40mm x 25mm and is clearly an officers badge, but is it for the cap or collar?

2. It has sturdy loops to the rear typical of a silver badge. It has what appears from a distance to be a nice set of hallmarks, but on close examination they are just gobbledygook. Either made that way to deceive (at the time of manufacture, its clearly an original and old badge) or the marks have become unrecognisable at the time of manufacture due to many copy castings from an original. What do you think?

3. What period of use would it be?

It tests positive for silver and will be for sale.

regards

I do not know if a more knowledgeable member can date this more precise (by looking at how it is made, etc.), but this is a badge for the post 1922 16th Light Cavalry (pre 1922 there was a 16th Cavalry).

After 1950, when India became a republic, the design was changed. The new badge having the "Lions of Ashoka" instead of the KC.

The quality of the casting - not quite up to snuff - and the gobbeldygook 'sterling marks' strongly suggest a modern Indian made copy. :(

It's an officers cap badge not collar - possibly the 2nd version of the badge so worn some time in the 1930's onwards until 1950 when the KC would have been dropped. The badge was made out of silver whether this one is genuine or not I can't say. Tim

Thanks everyone.

I am happy the badge is original and not a modern copy.

regards