The 1939 OWS badge that never was...
 

Very pleased with this mint badge I picked up, of which only 76 appear to have ever been made.

Description: 'Gilt and enamel button hole lapel badge by Thos. Fattorini, B'ham. Bright, fresh gilding with undamaged enamel, numbered to the reverse.

'It is believed that this was one of a batch of test types [the 'S' may stand for 'Sample'?] based on earlier WW1 designs [the 1914 Admiralty-Pattern badge] that were rejected in favour of more modern designs and put into storage.

'This example was amongst an unissued batch with the lowest number 2 and the highest 76, this example numbered ' S30 '.

A nice wee find there. Easy to imagine that they wanted to make a break from the old Admiralty pattern.

Very nice badge !

I've seen an "On National Service" badge (CUNLIFFE-OWEN AIRCRAFT LTD) which has an 'S' stamped on the buttonhole fitting and issue/badge number 975 stamped on the badge itself.

So , the 'S' could be for samples sent out to companies but am curious about why they would then have an issue number stamped on them if they were "rejected" ?

Also , why 76 (number of employees ?) . Was there any information about where they were 'put into storage' as this could identify who they were made for.

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As this was a general badge, I presumed the 76 samples were for different government depts, companies etc etc to decide upon, the number being so they could associate which companies had received them.

But it's just a guess what the 'S' stands for. Most of these Home Front badges just have an issue number to the rear - if anyone knows what the 'S' stands for, feel free to reply.