The BONDY LIST of REPRODUCTIONS.
 

I finally came across the BONDY 1989 SALES LIST. For the Forum membership, here is the list with prices for the reproduction badges he offered in 1989. All of these reproductions are concerning, but for collectors there are some huge "red flags". The Prince Rupert Regiment MG, CMHQ sterling, Argyll and Sutherland Military School of Piping, RCAChC badges, Irish Regt kc sporran, Argyll Light Inf Tank badges, Cape Breton Highlanders with Canada, Victoria Rifles qc, Irish Regt qc sporran, Regina Rifles qc 10 battle honours... all very collectable, and all hard to find. These repros are good quality and hard to distinguish in many cases. The sterling Canadian Headquarters badge is one that frequently shows up. The scarcity of the authentic badges for comparison makes it very easy to pass the Bondy copies. They are now over 20 years old and have made their way into the market in a way that often gives them provenance.

Hello Bill.....

"The sterling Canadian Headquarters badge is one that frequently shows up. The scarcity of the authentic badges for comparison makes it very easy to pass the Bondy copies."

I know that the two of these that I have are originals as they were given to me by people who served in C.M.H.Q. during WW2......

One being my Mother and another from a fellow War Bride, whom I used to call Aunty, who worked with my Mother and came to Canada on the same ship.....

I had my mothers badge for a while and a number of years ago she was along with my Aunty were invited to the M.C.C. of C. Convention and in looking at some of the display's they came across the badge...... She said to my mother that there is our badge..... The owner of the badge heard her say that and then questioned them both about the history with my ears pricked up at the same time.....

These badges with a pin back were worn by the female civilian staff as a form of identification while working in the CMHQ at Acton..... Mother then piped up and said that she remembered going into London to pick them up from maker and that she had somewhere in her papers the original invoice for them (have not found it yet)..... My Aunty said she had a picture somewhere of all the girls at CMHQ and it showed them wearing the badges..... I saw this picture a number of years ago and I have been promised that I am going to get the original at a later date......

I will see if I can get a copy to post......

Mike

That would be great Mike. Do you have an image of the cap badge?

Hello Bill.....

Yes I still have the badge.....

It was worn as a PIN not a cap badge as they were civilians until the CWAC came over to England.......

Mother remembers talking to Mary Dover when the CWAC took over their jobs but some of the girls stayed there......

Will try to post an old picture that I have......

Only one side I am sorry.......

Mike

Here's the back. This example is hallmarked LS, lion, leopard's head, & E; indicating sterling, London, 1940. I have never been able to identify the maker "LS".

Here are two LS makers marks, the L Spiers one looks a lot like yours:
http://www.silvercollection.it/engli...rmarksXL2.html

Rgds,

Thomas.

What's really out there?
 

Given the long list of items on offer in Bondy's catalogue, I'm curious as to how many actually got cranked out, how many were one-offs he may have intended to make more of if he had had interest, and even whether or not some were made at all.

I have what I am convinced is his King's Own Rifles repro: flat back, browned, cast Cu or brass.

I suspect both the Argyll Light Infantry and Argyll Tanks repros out there are his, although I haven't seen his supposed "nickle plate" ALI. I've also seen a single flat-back, cast Saskatchewan Civil Security Corps badge, very similar appearance to my KOR, so that was probably his as well.

Beyond that, though, and thinking that maybe the unmarked reunion-type 8th Recce (like the Scully badge but with no maker mark) is a Bondy product, I can't say with any certainty I've come across anything else from his list.

I've seen three BC Women's Automobile Association badges, all of which were die-struck and identical, so either they are all Bondy repros or none of them are. I know of two Prince Rupert MG repros -- one very nicely made, but with a big "COPY" on the back, and another, poorer quality version -- but either type are few and far between (showing up maybe once or twice in the last 2-3 years that I recall).

I've seen faked buckled Cape Breton Highlanders, but these are cobbled early overlays/later base pieces, not remakes, so are they Bondy's? My guess is no.

I've heard Bondy especially liked to repro sterling officers' badges. Given they were so obscure to start with he could probably float them pretty easily. I've heard the Princess of Wales's Own officer type was one of his. I was also told the 'hallmarks' were part of the molds, not stamped, so it was one way to tell his repros from legitimate badges. Subsequently, I've seen two PWOR silver officer's badges, both different and both with stamped hallmarks, so probably neither was a Bondy repro.

Surely if his reproductions were out there in any numbers at all, folks would run across them with some frequency, so is the paper threat greater than the danger of actually getting stuck with one?

If other people know or suspect they have a Bondy repro, it would be more than a bit interesting to see photos posted & stories told.

Another suggestion I'd like to make is that every time one of us pass along a known reproduction, like an Argyll LI or Argyll Tanks, we engrave it first on the back as "Repro No. XXX". It would be kind of neat to see where these things go, much like writing your initials on a $5 bill or painting nail polish on a quarter. Who knows? Maybe after a couple of years we'd see only the same eight or ten repops circling about like a bad smell after a fart.

I saw Hugh Bondy's badges. I think he had maybe six made of each badge. They were made with a lost wax casting method, so the whole badge, including fasteners, came out in one piece.
As an example, I saw one of his Manitoba Mounted Rifles badges being sold by a dealer as a a copy. The lugs and JR Gaunt maker's plate were actually part of the casting.

Phil

I have a Lake Superior Scotish badge which I've posted on the Forum. I'm not sure if is a Bondy. The lugs are molded intergral to the badge. With a loup you can clearly see the mold suture line on the lug. The badge is lost in my stuff and I can't find the photo so if interested you will have to do a search to find it within the Forum.
Greg

I did a search and found it w/o any problems, looks like this is a different copy than the Bondy version.

Back to the CMHQ badge............

The maker mark "LS" has been identified as Lewis Simpson, a London silversmith.

Bondy Badges " Middlesex "
 

On Bondy list is : A161 Middlesex ( wrong crown ) Queen Victoria Crown on
WW2 badge .
Is he referring to a variation of a Middlesex and Huron badge (Mazeas M49)?
Does anyone have a photo ?

Yes, it is that Middlesex-Huron badge. I don't have an image.

Middlesex and Huron Badges
 

Hello. Here are a couple badges we have here .
Badge on viewers left , well , not sure what we have here .
We picked this up some time ago . We think it might be a sweetheart
badge/pin .
It makes an interesting addition to the collection .
No makers mark on either badge .
Any ideas on this one with the broach fastener ?
Robert .

Hello Robert, it is a copy of some sort, and as you say, with the broach fastener, it is likely meant for costume wear.

Lake Superior Scottish
 

Hi Bill . Here is Lake Superior Scottish badge from our collection ,
front and back views . No makers mark .
Any thoughts on this one ?
This is the only badge from the 1989 Bondy List we have .
Robert.