QA(R) Tippet badge Dating?
 

The newest addition to my collection is a really nice Carrington& Co, London tippet badge to a QAIMNS(R). I am wondering if there is a way to date the badge? I have taken several pictures of it and tried to get all of the markings as clear as possible. Took some effort adjusting the pictures, but maybe there is something there that gives the date.

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Any help is genuinely appreciated, and regardless it is still a treasured addition to my nursing collection!

Terry

The hallmark was done in Birmingham but I can't really make out the date letter of the hallmark but it looks like it might be a small 'r', which would be 1916. Link here to the hallmark site.
http://www.silvercollection.it/engli...lmarksBIR.html

Terry,
The silver hallmarked large tippet Reserve badge is of WWI vintage. I cannot read the date marks on your badge, but from experience most of the WWI badges were dated 1915.

I believe these were handed back when the nurses were no longer on the reserve and reissued in the beginning of WWII.

The standard WWII tippet badge was a smaller badge similar in size to the Reserve collar badge and not hallmarked. It was worn from the same ribbon though.

Steven

I would agree 1916 , date letter is lower case 'r' .

.

Gentlemen,

My very sincere thanks for such great information! From your replies the three marks to the right give the place of manufacture, quality of silver and date. What are the marks to the bottom left?

If made in Birmingham,. why does it say London? Is it because that is where the home office is located, and the manufacturing site is in Birmingham?

Have to say that I am more than pleased with this information as I was not expecting it to be from WWI. :)

Were the WW2 versions also silver? Guess I'll need to locate one of those!

Thank you again for making my day.....which is cold, below freezing, with snow on the ground and more expected!!!

Terry

Terry the assay office is where the sliver is marked for its purity ,4 at present when your item was hallmarked there was 6 To be hallmarked the silver has to be over a certain amount of pure silver ,this has been done for hundreds of years The purity is either 92.5 or 99.9
The London name is either the manufacture or the retailer

Thanks David!!!

Terry

yes the WWII smaller ones are also silver but not hallmarked or maker marked. They are more difficult to find because of the re-use of WWI badges in WWII.

Hi Terry, and others,

Here is mine for your interest, no markings on rear. Belonged to a relative:

215803 Sister Jessie Darnell, Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service, died of disease on Wednesday, 14th October 1942. Age 25. in India.
Buried at Kirkee War Cemetery, near Bombay, Plot 8, Row B, Grave 13.

Regards, John

The first mark shows where it was assayed (which city) it may not have actually been manufactured in that city.

The other mark on the bottom is the 'makers mark' , I can't find details but as it was assayed in Birmingham it was also probably manufactured there.

Carrington & Co. were a top class London jewellers , so it's possible they contracted out certain items to other firms but put their name on them (as a status symbol). Other firms did this , for example "Liberty Of London".

.

Thank you all for the additional information.

John, sad to read of your relative's passing while serving.

Terry