Early (Pre WW1) Infantry Badge Belt
 

This arrived in the post today a risky ebay purchase which payed off. All badges are lugged and the patina is very much the real thing. Some volunteer collars amongst the cap badges

regards

Mark

I've always liked these souvenir badge belts (hate the term "hate belts"), they often seem to get stripped down & badges sold separately nowadays.

Very nice Mark, I was watching that to see what it went for.

Is the belt a 1914 pattern belt?


Ivan

Very nice, Mark. Congratulations. Belt and badges possibly circa Boer War period.
Cheers, Tinto

Are you going to leave it as found or are these all soon to be placed in your collection?

QUOTE=mark holden;299130]This arrived in the post today a risky ebay purchase which payed off. All badges are lugged and the patina is very much the real thing. Some volunteer collars amongst the cap badges

regards

Mark[/QUOTE]

Hi Mark,

Well done, a lovely find and unlike most of these this one screams untouched and original. Not the same patina and tone on all the pieces.

Cracking find..and lovely to see, thanks for sharing.

Cheers, Roy.

Frank I'll leave as is all part of the history. regards Mark


[/QUOTE]

Well, that is certainly what I would have done too!:)

[/QUOTE]

Yep.

Souvenir Belt & Leicesters’ badge
 

Hi Mark

Congratulations indeed, a very handsome belt and badges. As Tinto says possibly Boer War, but certainly Victorian/Edwardian if they have loops/lugs, and I can at least tell you that the Leicesters badge is the Firmin & Sons’ maker’s type. Given my interested in Leicestershire cap badges, I wondered if you’d be good enough to perhaps tell me if this particular badge has any braze holes please? I’d also be glad to know the approximate distance between the two loops/lugs, if you didn’t mind?

Regards

Martin

Hi Martin,

no braze holes and about 2.2cm between the lugs.

regards

Mark

Mark,

Thank you for this.

Interesting, given the perceived wisdom is that BiM badges of this period without braze holes are regarded as fakes. I wonder how many genuine BiM badges of this period, especially TA, have been consigned to the dud box, simply because of a lack of braze holes.

It raises the question of when BiM badges began being manufactured without braze holes.

regards
Chris

One thing I will say, I NEVER consign any badge to the bin, they are documented as to why and kept for future reference, and in some cases resurrection.

Braze holes & Leicesters badges
 

Hello Mark

Many thanks for the reply, and for taking time to look at the badge; which I really appreciate. I have a few of these Firmin Leicesters badges now, and have been studying them to try and work out a possible rough chronology. It is my current belief that the earliest of these Firmin maker’s type were produced without braze holes, but that their use was introduced shortly afterwards. The fact that your Leicesters does not have them helps towards confirming my thoughts on this, and that it has a good chance, therefore, of having been worn during the Boer War. I did actually make a posting about this particular maker’s variant back in 2010 here, when I was beginning to formulate my views on them but at which time I was yet to identify them as the Firmin type.

Anyway, on the use of braze holes, I would personally say that the general rule that badges without braze holes are more recent in date than those that do have them is still correct; especially where restrikes and repros are concerned. However it would seem that this axiom is not as clear cut as might be thought, and that things can vary according to manufacturer. I have a feeling that some makers continued to use braze holes over a long period, whilst others used them for a time then stopped doing so, and yet others never used them. Unfortunately I am not able to make any authoritative pronouncement on the use of braze holes, but certainly where the Firmin made Leicestershire Regiments badges are concerned it would appear to be the case that their very earliest ones did not have them.

Best regards

Martin