[KLR]

Sorry, x months late.

The 1939 Lpl Irish badge (WO Patt 11390/1939) but there are two distinctive dies.
According to the names on the sliders one is Firmin and one is Gaunt.

However - one of the F die is actually marked G !!!
The original Sealed Pattern is at the NAM which will tell which is first.
But I have the Firmin die which is dated x-12-39 ! which suggests F made the first ones and that they allowed G to use their die

The Ministry of Supply ledger of 1939-46 records two contracts in this period, both to Gaunt totalling 4,464 badges (App xxx). The first, of 3,312, was demanded in June 1940 and delivered in September. The second, for 1,152, was demanded in December 1944 and delivered in January 1945. In both cases the badges were delivered to the Central Ordnance Depot at Branston.


It seems that G took over from F in June 1940

that's the clearest i can get to your query - evidence that F (or G) contracted out to the other (but sorry - just a bit after 1930)


J