Is there a beginners guide to spotting fakes?

[kchickenlord]

New to the forum.

I used to collect cap badges from an antiques dealer when I was in school, before ebay and online auctions took the tactile aspect of buying out of the equation.

Recently I bought a bag of assorted badges from a seller who was auctioning off batches from an old collectors estate, a bag of patches, a bag of metal cap badges etc. I don't suspect a scam here as the seller included all sorts, it was an innocent random batch of badges.

Now I can tell an outright fake and have the Kipling & King books and the Alderton book out of the library, but the photos don't really tell me enough and they all seem suspect. I had no idea fakes had become so common and had assumed I could buy en masse and finish of the collection of Corps of the Services badges I started years back.

Is there a beginners guide out there that might be more informative? I was hoping to sell on the rest, but not if they're fakes.

[Peter Brydon]

Kchickenlord,

Welcome to the Forum, a most interesting thread.

Sadly there is not a comprehensive guide to spotting fakes ( there are some guides on E.B. including one written by a dealer who appears to offer a lot of dubious items ). Some of the well know books on collecting badges cover the subject in various depths.

The best advice I believe is to go back though some of the threads here, including those on makers marks and you will start picking up tips to identify fake badges.

P.B.

[2747andy]

Originally Posted by kchickenlord

New to the forum.

I used to collect cap badges from an antiques dealer when I was in school, before ebay and online auctions took the tactile aspect of buying out of the equation.

Recently I bought a bag of assorted badges from a seller who was auctioning off batches from an old collectors estate, a bag of patches, a bag of metal cap badges etc. I don't suspect a scam here as the seller included all sorts, it was an innocent random batch of badges.

Now I can tell an outright fake and have the Kipling & King books and the Alderton book out of the library, but the photos don't really tell me enough and they all seem suspect. I had no idea fakes had become so common and had assumed I could buy en masse and finish of the collection of Corps of the Services badges I started years back.

Is there a beginners guide out there that might be more informative? I was hoping to sell on the rest, but not if they're fakes.

If there were a simple guide, I don't think there would be as many fakes about! One pearl of wisdom would be to avoid metal (not anodised aluminium) with small GAUNT.LONDON or GAUNT B'HAM as they are almost always fakes or restrikes!

I'd be more than happy to give you an opinion if you want to post images here or send me photos to look at!

Best regards

Andy

Andy

[kchickenlord]

I'll sort some proper photos. There are a few with gaunt marked sliders, a 4th Irish Dragoon Guards that looks like it was made last week, a white metal KODR. I know these are all fakes, but an Engineer Volunteers Badge would have fooled me had I not found a mention on one of the threads here.

I have one very suspect Royal Fusiliers with an overy thick slider with a faint Ambourne makers mark. I'll add the pics to the thread when I can either scan them during the week or get a lend of a camera I can take decent photos on.