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Originally Posted by leigh kitchen
A Belgic shako front that used to be displayed at a museum in Brussels, it appears to be a 2nd Foot Guards Light Company item.
Allegedly a relic of Waterloo it's considered suspect, a possible "put together".
A self portrait by a man who served in the 1st Foot Guards 1804 - 1825, depicting himself wearing walking out uniform with Belgic shako as a member of the Light Coy in 1815 (his battalion didn't serve at Waterloo).
A more recent interpretation of the self portrait, the star thought to have an oval rather than round centre, consisting of the regiment's device of the Garter encircling the royal cypher.
The crowned rococo shield shaped plate for the for infantry bore the regimental number, the 1st Foot Guards plate an embossed star bearing the Garter with "GR" in the centre, worn from the introduction of the Belgic.
On 28/12/1814 it was ordered that Light Companies adopt separate badges of a bugle horn over the regimental number.
It was long thought that the 1st Foot Guards now wore the bugle over the rococo shield plate but the self portrait shows that the bugle was worn over a star.
At the end of December 1815 the Belgic was replaced by the Regency shako, so the portrait can be dated precisely to a 12 months period (did the Guards ever wear the Regency Shako?).
The Coldstream's star shown is part of a grouping of items to one man of the regiment in a collection comprising "papers", a Colour Sergeants badge, a Waterloo Medal, a six pointed star of yellow, scarlet & dark blue ribbon (a recruiting "favour"?) & this brass Garter star on a scarlet cloth backing.
It's described as being 47mm tall by 44mm wide, too small for use on the knapsack or cartridge pouch, having a large & sturdy fitting on the reverse which precludes its use on the uniform, but would be suitable for use on head dress though too large as a form of securing a cockade.
It is possibly a badge to be worn by the Light Coy of the 2nd Foot Guards as per the arrangement in the 1st Foot Guards self portrait.........
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Great images. The yellow, blue and red rosette was indeed a recruiting favour that was used for over 100 years, usually with trailing streamers. It was worn by the entire recruiting party 'drumming up' recruits and often given to each man signed up as a marker of his capture/belonging.
The brass badge that you have posted seems in size very much like the star worn by CG on the 1830-50 peaked forage cap. I think that the same die made stars for the cartouche pouch and shoulder belt plate but with differing fixings.