It depends how you mean Rob, some V.B. badges do not have them, however, rather than being tightly overlaid I’d describe such examples as of a loose fitting ‘tagged’ construction which I’d theorise allowed hot gas or excess braze to escape.
If counting such examples then they would in a very limited sense pre-date 1908.
Certainly in WW1 companies like Tiptaft and Lambourne weren’t using them. The Board of Trade Labour Gazette 1914-19 shows the award dates of these ‘badge metal’ contracts.
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