48 highlanders cross belt

[121155]

Can anyone date this cross belt plate for me please, cant find any information on it

Thanks in advance

[Bill A]

Hello Oliver, Have you taken it apart to check the back of the badge? There may be some pertinent information there.

[Tanker Mike]

Nice piece

[Richard III]

" In the spring of 1892 the regiment had emerged from its chrysalis, and had the appearance of it completed organization. The uniforms had been by this time received—modelled on that of the Gordon Highlanders, and manufactured in Inverness. Scotland. The strength of the battalion had reached about 350 and much hard work had been put on drill. The first officers were:-

STAFF

Lieut.-Colonel Commanding, John Irvine Davidson.
Majors, Alfred Morgan Cosby, William Campbell Macdonald.
Surgeon. William Theophilus Stuart, M. D.
Assistant Surgeon. Alexander Anthony Dame, M.D.
Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel James Macdonnell, B. D.
Adjutants (Acting), Captain C. J. MacDougall. R.S.I. Captain Walter Macdonald.
Quarter-Master, James Adams."

From the history.

[121155]

Not thinking it was that old, i guess the writing on the back makes more sense.

[CollectorinUSA]

Hello fellow collectors,

A quick question to follow-up on earlier discussion re 48th Highlanders cross belt plate.

See attached photo of another 48th plate that looks different from the plate that Member 121155 owns.

Have you seen this new plate around? Do you think it's legit? It different in that there are no maple leaves around the four corners, and I can't find it anywhere, which makes me a bit suspicious about it.

Thanks!

[48th]

Originally Posted by 121155

Can anyone date this cross belt plate for me please, cant find any information on it

Thanks in advance

Victor Taboika's book Military Antiques of the Great War shows this buckle plate on page 116. Lists it as a "officers shoulder belt plate" and used during the war. The centre 48thand falcon is not known to me as being a cap badge but seems to be its own design/variation. I have seen a couple of these for sale over the years.

[48th]

Originally Posted by CollectorinUSA

Hello fellow collectors,

A quick question to follow-up on earlier discussion re 48th Highlanders cross belt plate.

See attached photo of another 48th plate that looks different from the plate that Member 121155 owns.

Have you seen this new plate around? Do you think it's legit? It different in that there are no maple leaves around the four corners, and I can't find it anywhere, which makes me a bit suspicious about it.

Thanks!

This is an interesting item, I do not recall seeing one of these before. From what I can see from the picture and my gut instict tells me that it was done post WWI and a cap badge was used to make this piece. If some one was contacted to make a limited run of these or someone just made it up them selves I am not sure of.

Hope that helps.

[CollectorinUSA]

Originally Posted by 48th

This is an interesting item, I do not recall seeing one of these before. From what I can see from the picture and my gut instict tells me that it was done post WWI and a cap badge was used to make this piece. If some one was contacted to make a limited run of these or someone just made it up them selves I am not sure of.

Hope that helps.

Thanks very much for the reply. This one came up for sale on Ebay just a few days ago by someone who was selling it for someone else. I didn't buy it (nor did anyone else at the time) because I Googled high and low to try and find another plate like it to compare, but only found one that was sold by a UK militaria dealer. For all I know, it's actually the same plate. Interestingly, my gut instinct also cautioned me that this was a made-up piece. Of course I can't be certain, but I just found it troubling that I couldn't locate a few examples of this plate in sale room catalogues or in old/sold dealer inventories. I believe the plate ended up in the hands of another militaria dealer - it will likely be offered up again to the collecting community.