Modern West Riding by Firmin
 

Does anyone have any information on this badge please?

It seems relatively modern and normally I’d be inclined to condemn it as fake. However the finish from the front looks pretty good quality and it also has a Firmin mark embossed onto the reverse of the scroll as well stamped in the slider. The construction reminds me a bit of Birmingham mint.

Why it has a officer’s quality finish to the front and is on a slider is odd. The embossed makers mark is not something I’m familiar with on fakes, albeit I don’t collect officers badges so have limited experience.

So is it a more modern variant or just another repo?

Please note if this is good I’ll likely move it on.

Cheers,

Luke

Luke,
DWR was not in the Birmingham Mint set so I think that can be ruled out. It is possible that it is an officer badge, even with a slider, either issue or from PRI or military tailor. I think that I may have a similar one so will check now.

Tim

I think it is from the Danbury Mint collection.
Marc

Wrong again!

Not from Danbury Mint as badges were anodised with blades.

Here is mine from LONDON BADGE & BUTTON Co Ltd. In packet of issue with correct NSN.

A quality badge.

Tim

Thanks gents. It’s definitely got some quality about it. The colour of the back in the flesh is more reminiscent of tarnished silver plate than its come out in my photo.

Luke,

I have spent quite some time on this badge and I believe that it is an official issue officers example from the mid 1990's with an NSN of 8455-99-130-3704 pattern No. 30204. It was deleted from the inventory in 2009. Firmin later marked their badges just 'FIRMIN' in quite large letters although there are abbreviations of 'F&S' and the 'double diamond FIRMIN' mark etc. However, FIRMIN.LONDON seems early/mid 1990's.

If anyone has an example of this badge in unopenend packaging then I would be most interested to see it.

Regards,

Chris

Many thanks indeed Chris. That’s very interesting. In your research is it a known practice for modern officers badges to have sliders on occasion?

Cheers,
Luke

Hi Luke,

No not really and if I remember this is the only one. I think some official ones were also made by LB&B and the regiment also commissioned a batch of badges for 'the ranks' to wear instead of A/A - again with sliders. Also, there are a few different variations on design especially re: voiding on lion and also on scroll touching the lion.

A difficult badge to sort out but I'm almost sure yours is official issue officers. If I could find one in a packet I would be a lot more confident though.

Regards,

Chris

Luke, it appears your badge has had a hole drilled through it where the chin rests on the chest.

Hi Tim,

Yes, that's a good one - missed your post earlier.

Chris

See what you mean Hoot. It didn’t stick out when I held it albeit I did think the voiding was unusual.

Just found this one on eBay and looks to have the same hole? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/British-A...-/254195361698

I asked a similar question
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ad.php?t=72411
Regards
Sean

Hi Tim,

Taking this further - the only packaging I have seen for modern LB&B badges is tissue paper held in place by a piece of sellotape - I believe the badges came loose in boxes of 50. I think Mike Commerford stated that these badges were then stripped of said tissue and placed into the packaging you have shown by the Army itself with sticker on the front with NSN and quantity info. Hence packaging you have is not LB&B but MoD.

This sort of packaging is quite common on modern items but I have been unable to determine if badges in this packaging are solely LB&B or perhaps unmarked Shaw Munster, TKS etc.

Regards,

Chris

Different makers, both with sliders and the same sort of hole through the neck. Very odd.

Different badges - look at the contact points of the scroll. Four points for Gaunt and two for Firmin.

Regards,

Chris