5th Bn Cinque Ports Royal Sussex Cap badge
 

Would any members please post pics of what they believe to be their absolutely 'rock solid genuine' cap badges of the 5th (Cinque Ports) Bn The Royal Sussex Regt, please? I would be soooo grateful to try and pin down what the real ones should look like!

Hi Lettman. Attached are photos of 3 brass or gilding metal versions of the Cinque Ports cap badge that I CONSIDER to be original. Photos 1 & 2 show a slidered version. 3 & 4 show a slidered version made from the old 1st Cinque Ports RV die. You can see the gaps at either end of the scroll where the '1st' and 'RV' went. 5 & 6 show a lugged variety. I have seen patterns with separate shields in the centre but those that i have come across i considered to be restrikes. Originals might exist though! Hope that helps. Regards, Andrew.

Marvellous, Andrew -- thank you very much for taking the time and effort to show 3 such distinct variations!

5th Batt. Royal Sussex Regt. (Cinque Ports) Help Please
 

I have a question that's been nagging me for some time and I hope some members might be able to help.
A few weeks ago I was at a militaria fair and I had the chance to buy a Cinque Ports ALL BLACK painted badge.When I mean all black, I mean front,back and slider. It looked to me to have been done a long time ago (at least a few years back...) and the paint had a flat finish.
My question is, has any members ever saw or known of that badge being blackened ? Or, is there any informations about the unit having a black badge.Should I have bought that badge ? Or that animal never existed......
Any help whatsoever, will be appreciated.
Cheers
Jo

I've never seen one. Nickel for the old RV badge and early versions of the 5th Royal Sussex followed by gilding metal ones . Maybe an officer was trying to imitate an OSD on the cheap!

Paint conceals a multitude of sins.....

Cinque Ports
 

Hi Jo,
Anything like this one?
Jim

Yes, very very similar to this one.
Jo

Hi jim,can you tell me more about that black Cinque Ports badge ?

Jo

Hi Jo, I am afraid I dont know a lot of detail about it. It came to me with three other genuine Royal Sussex badges.To me it seems original, the coating is applied well, with some wear on the slider, the slider is long and nicely tapered. K&K state GM and bronze (which I assume is Officers and not OR's)
When I acquired this one, I sold the one that I had had in my territorial collection, (pic's below) that also had traces of blacking on the reverse, but I was not 100% sure of it's originality.
So can anyone else out there venture an opinion?
Jim

Thanks Jim. I guess this badge will remain a mystery for a bit longer.

Cheers
Jo

Andrew (if you're out there!), or any other BBF member for that matter:
What is it about the separate shield versions that make you think they're restrikes? I've just acquired one of these -- not expensively, so there's not much riding on it -- but it's a very solid piece and quite handsomely made, I think. I'd really like to hear your views. In the meantime I'll try to organise some pics.

If it was a restrike and not a makers' varaiation then it wold put it in a very exclusive club of fake badges that were more difficult to make than the originals/

It's a hard one to make out. I had one with the overlaid centre which looked nice but the rest of the badge, especially the shank was wrong. Attached are my genuine ones for comaprison, nickel (which I prefer-they're earlier and match the collars) and gilding metal.

Re 5 th Battalion i Have both types present the badge with the overlaid center is slightly darker in colour Both these were H.King when he did A4 lists late 70s/80s Out of interest have all white a/a smith &wright Ltd process error scroll not blanked out ALSO 1st bn R Sussex OFFICERs H.M.S +smaller officers sterling i was informed this was worn by 2nd battalion -ex major ken clark [1983]