Quote:
Originally Posted by mike_vee
Perhaps , the same person designed both badges and after an initial run the 'error' (too many balls !  ) was noticed and new dies were made....... |
Thanks to dumdum posting photos of two 'Admiralty' badges there are now five examples to compare. Strangely none have makers marks.
The photos are in the order I first saw them , showing the 'issue' numbers . I couldn't quite get the sizing right but as far as I am aware they are all the approximately the same size.
What is interesting is that the two with the lowest numbers are the '9 ball' versions , so why would they change the design of the crown (from the "official" version) for the later issued badges ?
Note
A War Office document from May 1901 states :
"His majesty now wishes
one uniform Crown alone to become the sealed pattern for the Service, - the Tudor, "Henry VII" Crown, chosen and always used by Queen Victoria personally;
all other patterns are to be abolished."
Unfortunately , as the HMNZ Transports badges were not 'numbered' there is no way of knowing when their design was also changed.
My first thought was that possibly a different manufactuer was used but as far as I am aware the HMNZ Transports badges were only made by C.M. Bay (as they have makers marks).
I have to keep searching for an answer .
.