Hall marked silver badges
 

Just received the latest MHS Bulletin and was interested to see the paragraph in the attached photo from the Chairman’s Notes.

I wonder why these badges would be made if not to deceive collectors ?

P.B.

Good to know and keep in mind!

Terry

This will be regarding what that guy in Knighton amongst others is selling on e..y.

One of the 3 HM silver Rifles cap badges I have has no year stamp. I'm happy it's totally legit,but still I'd like to know what year it is. The earliest it can be is 2007,The other two are 2019 and 2020.
So it would appear that the year stamp is back in use, at least in the Bham assaye office.

Why would obsolete cap badges be made in silver with modern hallmarks?

Phil

You are using too much logic :D

I to have received my copy of the MHS Bulletin, I am surprised that anyone would buy a hallmarked obsolete badge without a date stamp.

Rob

Indeed. They are being sold openly as reproductions. The issue will arise when others sell them on and are less honest regards their origins.

Thank you. The MHS entry seemed a bit vague.

Phil

Would it be possible to find out if any of these badges have a maker stamp, like Gaunt would have put on their HMS badges (JRG&S). That way we could keep an eye open for the maker to avoid them.
Cheers,
Alex

They have been discussed on here several times, this is the int.militaria silver repro cohort.

Badges are marked F&G 925 (or Silver) or IM 925 followed by an anchor. The HM can be on a single line or sometimes two. The proprietor of int.militaria threatened the forum with legal action over copyright infringement showing his listing pictures so unfortunately they cannot be shown publicly.

Sadly there are too many different badges in this cohort to keep up with by way of a list but they are all known repros so nothing new as such, just the material they’re made in bearing a modern hallmark.

Hall marked silver badges
 

I suppose if someone does buy one of these they can always recoup some of the money as scrap silver, whereas a dud made from base metal is really worthless unless a re enactor wants one.

Rob

There's a 'hall marked' of a 8th Irish Bn King's officer's caubeen badge 1939 Pattern,
The 'marks' are IM 925 Anchor, 925 silver content and made in Birmingham but no mention of who made it or which year.



The editorial noted the facts but I can't but think it could been a bit harder.

A friend of mine bought a "buy it now" Staffordshire Constabulary KC silver cap badge. He contacted me to tell me of his magnificent find and how pleased he was. I enlightened him that it was a total "dud" and that such a badge never existed in "silver". He immediately contacted the seller who agreed to cancel the order and refunded his payment. So, if you buy such a thing and don't like it, send it back. Simples, as they say. You are entitled to change your mind as the law currently stands and ask for your cash back. He found the seller quite pleasant and indeed a careful examination of the description indicated that the badge was a reproduction, which if the buyer had bothered to look would have been evident.

Dave.

Since 1999 date letters have no longer been a requirement although they do turn up: it may be as simple as the assayer having a POETS day and trying to save time. :)

Also, it should be remembered that the hall mark is to guarantee the metal purity, not that the item itself is "genuine".

Graham

I feared this would be the case with that seller. His silver voided KC Para badges similarly sold like hot cakes. They were of course all cast copies made in silver with modern hallmarks.

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ad.php?t=83251

As you say it was there all along in the description for every perspective buyer to read.

I wonder how many, in similar haste, seeing what they thought was a rare silver officers badge worth (if original) several hundred pounds listed at ‘only’ £50 BIN in case of the Paras just clicked buy.