[sarmajor]

Originally Posted by badgecollector

hi sarmajor
i think thats what i said. 3 standard components or patches in this case sewn together. it appears the the FM emblem has been embroidered direct to the cloth and a crown patch added above and the title ribbon stitched below.
dont get me wrong, its a magnificent item and almost as good a story of how you came by it, but to compare it to a badge that has had a die hand cut (front and back) and then a badge or 2 produced is for me rarer?
bc

I disagree with your proposition BC and would welcome any contributions to the discussion

Using your interpretation many prized badges held by members would be considered worthless - apart from their sentimental value.

My position about the badge is that, apart from anything else, it has considerable value for a serious collector of rank badges (not that I have any intention of selling it) as, without it, no collection of Australian rank badges could be complete. To be even more explicit I suggest that I am in all likelyhood the only person on this earth that has a complete collection of Australian rank badges that have been formally gazetted, manufactured, issued and actually worn by members of the Australian army.

Without that Australian field marshal's badge nobody else could make that claim.

In any collection would not such an item be valuable to a serious collector in the area of their expertise.

Now you claim that because each of the 4 components (the sleeve, the crossed batons, the crown and the Australia) is relatively common to British/Commonwealth forces the badge has only some sentimental and interest value.

My argument is that all of those items were joined at manufacturer and that the badge should be judged as a whole.

Now, to take the discussion one step further.

You must admit that the (presumably) Irish helmet plate that I have posted in another thread is reasonably rare - so rare/unique that no knowledgeable member has yet been able to positively identify it.

That badge is made up of a Star and Victorian crown (reasonably common to a number of different regiments of that area, the garter - also common to many badges (past and present) and the also relatively common Maid of Erin.

Individually the parts are not unusual however, joined together at manufacture, they form a badge of some value.

Now what is the difference between that badge and the rank badge?

My question "is the sum of a badge greater than its parts".

I would be quite interested in any argued response. In fact that question may be worthy of a separate thread.

What does everyone think?