Your first King's Lpl badge was WO Pattern 4362A/1896. There were 50,00 Kingsmen to be badged during the 1st WW. This 'Pattern' was therefore made / worn between 1896 and 1926 (and superseded by your 1926 badge).
I have defined 22 dies of the 4362A Pattern and yours is what I have called 1896/Die 14. (I have four examples - all identical to yours)
It has a vertical shank rather than loops which appeared before the war but made before the the mass production in 1916-17 as it has the fine features of the original dies though:
healthy horse, a good mane, three part tail, slightly humped scroll, voided hind legs and the rounded tabs (on the reverse of the scroll brazed to the 'ground') later ones were pointed.
It is not the most common die but definitely genuine made by an anonymous manufacturer.
Last edited by KLR; 09-05-21 at 07:20 AM.
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