brass colonial maritime badges
 

The following old brass cap badges are all local (Malta) finds.

Victorian Marine Police
KC Coast Guard (with J.R. Gaunt London tablet)
KC Malta Customs

GTB

They are absolutely gorgeous badges :)

Hi GTB,

That's a lovely group, well done and thank for sharing. Always interesting to see obscure colonial badges like this.

Cheerio,

Roy

Very nice badges. I particularly liked the Malta Customs. Would the HM Coastguard badge have been worn in Malta?

Dave.

Thanks all for your encouraging comments. I think such small badge displays convey a sense of time past.

Dave, I think not. Haven't come across records of Malta CG unit.
Attaching a card of colonial Malta Customs buttons - not too clear, I'm afraid. They start off with CUSTOM - HOUSE MALTA and continue with CUSTOMS MALTA. The latter large size also comes w/o shank but with 4 eyelets as in RN CPO buttons. The single very small button is CUSTOM - HOUSE WEIGHER and apparently only that size has surfaced (15mm)

GTB

Agreed very nice group of badges. When you go badge hunting on Malta what are your options as far as where to find pieces?
Thanks
Jack

Alas, not good at all. The market has dried up and pracrically all my stuff harks back to the good old days, aka 60s and 70s. That was when the junk shops hadn't yet died out.
There are occasional finds at car boot sales but a lot of non-genuine material too.

GTB

Many thanks for showing the Customs buttons. Two or three I've not seen before. A very nice group. As an aside, was there a Queen's Crown version of the Malta Customs badge?

Dave.

GTB,

I hope you don't mind if attach a couple more Malta buttons onto your thread.

CUSTOMS MALTA [Queen's crown], backmark FIRMIN LONDON.
MARINE POLICE MALTA, backmark SUPERIOR QUALITY.

Regards,

David.

David
Feel free to post. It's everyone's gain. I will be sorting out my Marine Police Malta buttons in due course and post them

Dave
If you need larger pics of buttons let me know.

I am not too conversant with Customs items as my main interest is militaria but I should have a pile of notes hidden somewhere. I believe that the QC Customs badge was an embroidered version. Change of button also to QC and example attached.
I am also attaching an Independence period badge, with crest superseding the Royal Crown. HOWEVER, I need to confirm if badge is Customs or Harbour Pilot. I am also posting large & med Independence period buttons with similar crest and mantling.
The gm badge is the current Cutoms Guards badge. Current button (one size only) also attached.

GTB

GTB,

Many thanks for this information and pics.. Very interesting!

Dave.

A small selection of Marine Police Malta buttons. Quite a number of miscellaneous buttons in my collection are dug specimens. Apologies for quality of scan. Having trouble uploading from smartphone.

1. Early model, without 'MALTA', substantial amount of gilt remaining; 'DAIN WATTS & MANTON'; 22mm
2. Ditto, dug; 'BARTLEET. RICH ORANGE'; 22mm
3. Later pattern, with 'MALTA', QVC, 'TREBLE GILT STANDd COLOUR'; 24mm
4. Ditto, KC, 'SUPERIOR QUALITY. trefoil'; 23mm.
5. Ditto, KC, 15mm, blank.

Need to confirm crowns & epochs of first two.

GTB

I have it from authoritarian source that the brass KC Customs badge was worn right up to Independence in 1964. I can also confirm, that the Independence period embroidered badge I showed is in fact Customs. Hope this helps.

GTB

Thank you very much for this information.

Dave.

Hi GTB,

Lovely collection! Just a question, was the Custom-House Weigher button specific to Malta or was it used throughout the colony? I do have a 23mm type of this button in my collection which was found locally but haven't came across more anywhere else. Also could you or some other member shed some light on the image of the cap badge attached.

Thanking you in advance.