The position of loops on Vol Artillery badges is certainly a muse.
This Cadets badge sold by Bosley’s has them in the E-W position commonly seen when 3 would be present. As you can see there’s no trace of a North loop. I do not doubt it is genuine.
Additionally this type West Riding RHA, which is seldom seen, has 2 E-W loops in the positions commonly associated with the 3 looped fakes. Yet a badge from the same die is shown in Litchfield’s book.
tonyb’s example -
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ictureid=97961
So either 1. Norman Litchfield showed fakes in his book; 2. These have been restruck from the original dies; or 3. They’re genuine and demonstrate further variation in loop placement.
Now whilst the bottom scrolls has poor reverse this is an attribute seen in varying degrees on nearly all these Vols badges. Note even the Bosley’s Cadets badge has less than stellar detail here v’s the top scroll.
Lastly even the badges with the accepted ‘correct’ 2 loop configuration vary between being attached at the edges of the top scroll or lower down in the gun itself.