? 5th Lancers
 

Hi, not tank related but came in with some other bits. I assume it is right but would just like some confirmation or otherwise, thanks in advance Mike

Looks good to me .
Tony.

Hi Tony, thank you for your reply, Mike

Agreed and actually worn too!

It looks like a good one to me as well.
However, having collected infantry badges since the mid '70s I have only comparitively recently extended my interest to the cavalry units.

This particulr regiment has been the source of confusion to me as far as their cap badges go as there seems to be little good info around (at least where I have looked).
There seem to be many "opinions" as to what is correct and what isn't concerning fixings and general manufacturing styles. For instance I have heard "experts" insist that a flat back is indicative of a fake yet very credible sources also argue the opposite. I just can't find a convincing explanation to cover the different variations from Victorian to WWI to WWII and post war. I have also seen prices varying from sensible to ridiculous for what appear to be the same variant. I think I know the difference but I just can't substantiate it!

I can't think of another badge that has been so difficult to quantify, or is it just me?

So, for starters I wonder if somebody could please give me some opinion on this one?

Regards

Mark

It’s a fake. The poor seeding, rounded lettering, hollow leaves and method of construction are all wrong.

Thanks Luke, that is pretty much where I was at with this. Can you shed light on the variations / time-line at all?

Regards

Mark

The looped badges are Victorian/Edwardian-era examples.Genuine OR badges from this period were die stamped, the metal gauge should be quite thick, and with braze hole construction behind the WM pennants and 5 as per mine attached.

I do not recall ever seeing a 5L on the early (1903-5) long slider.

From 1906 the short slider was introduced as per the genuine badge shown in post #1. Again these were die stamped with braze holes etc. displaying construction and quality typical to the period.

The badge in this thread https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...kinson+lancers I regard as a WW1 variation as an example is present in the first 1969 edition of F. Wilkinson’s book ‘Badges of the British Army 1820 - Present’ . The publication is generally considered pre-fake flood and many badges in the book appear to date to WW1 era. This badge is as ‘rough’ as it got for the 5L in my belief.

Badges like yours in post #5 with the cast backs without braze holes are wrong. Other clues to it originating from a fake die are as I mentioned the laurels being just outlines, coarse seeding, rounded ToysRus lettering.

Hope that helps.

Thank you Luke. Yes that is the kind of info I was after.

As I say, I have collected British cap badges for rather a long time but cavalry was not initially my focus yet I don't really know why I have been so confused by this particular badge!

Regards

Mark

To add to Luke's comments, the crimp appears more like somebody has had a go at it with a hacksaw to create a fake crimp.

I think that there is a great deal of good information upon this site regarding these particular badges, the "flat back" you mention is not something you would expect to see in the case of the rankers cap badge and the example you show is completely spurious, with the material and manufacture being modern and post dating the period the regiment was actually extant.
I would get your money back if this was sold to you as original, if I were you.