Early Border Regiment?

[thursdaychris]

Hello Chaps,

I have attached a few images of a badge that I've finally realised doesn't really belong in my collection. It is, I think, a helmet plate centre and I don't think that this would have ever been worn on any kind of forage cap, however it does seem to have been worn at one time on the Glengarry.

I'm way out of my depth with all of this really, but, never mind, what I think that I actually do need is a nice silver Border officers cap badge, just like the one shown in the next two pictures. Does anyone think that a straight swap of two badges like this might be a fairly good deal for the owner of the KC Border badge?

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by thursdaychris

Hello Chaps,

I have attached a few images of a badge that I've finally realised doesn't really belong in my collection. It is, I think, a helmet plate centre that was originally worn fitted onto a back-plate along with a separate QVC and later KC crown. I don't think that this arrangement was ever worn on a cap, apart from, perhaps, on the Glengarry between 1881 and 1895.

I'm way out of my depth with all of that really, but, never mind, what I think that I actually do need is a nice silver Border officers cap badge, just like the one shown in the next two pictures. Does anyone think that a straight swap of two badges like this might be a fairly good deal for the owner of the KC Border badge?

You appear to have the other ranks helmet plate centre adopted around 1891. You can see the officers version enclosed.

[oc14]

Originally Posted by thursdaychris

Does anyone think that a straight swap of two badges like this might be a fairly good deal for the owner of the KC Border badge?

No, in my opinion, the unmarked silver Border Regiment officer's cap badge is worth (at least) double the value of the HPC


Paul

[thursdaychris]

As I said previously I'm way out of my depth with all of this, however, I have found a couple of images of Border Regt ORs HPCs and they do seem a little different to the one that I have.

[Alex Rice]

I think it is the officer HPC, not an OR's. Lovely piece and I think it was worn on the GG but without a crown.
Cheers,
Alex

[Alex Rice]

Hi Chris
I am not sure about the Border Reg officer cap badge you posted, not the greatest example. Here are couple for comparison. They should have the red enamel in the centre, so that one may be a later version?
Cheers,
Alex

[thursdaychris]

Hello Alex, Many thanks, I've been trawling through just about everything that I could find on the Border Regt, and I'm now fairly sure that what I have here is an example of the officers HPC, sadly, most of the original white enamel that would have been on the top of the centre is missing, although small fragments do remain in the crevices. I've seen another nice badge, shown below, that's much the same as your two, that's the kind of thing that I need to aim for, I guess.

[Alex Rice]

Hi Chris
I don't know much about officer HPC's etc, but as I said, I think that would have been worn on the GG's and quite possibly the early 1880's forage cap, I don't know. The price is likely in the correct ballpark as you don't get anything much in the way of decent officer badges shy of 100 quid.
The one thing I have learnt with collecting officer badges is that you have to be patient
You have amassed a superb collection in a very short time, so you are going to hit a couple of stumbling blocks trying to finish it off. They will pop up, so good luck!
Cheers,
Alex

[thursdaychris]

Yes, I have read that in the interests of economy these HPCs were often worn on the Glengarry undress cap together with a small crown issued separately, and to achieve correct fitting. a small brass-plate was worn on the inside of the Glengarry, K&K Fig 289. In 1901 this back-plate was redesigned for the Imperial crown, the HPC worn with that is shown in K&K as Fig 390, and it does seem that the same badge when worn with the earlier separate QVC, from 1881 to 1902, is shown as Fig 326.