Unusual British Legion badge

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by dumdum

As I understand it, the Member's badges were sent in a small lidded cardboard box with the number inked on the top.

Always double check !

Two examples available :

Photo 1 - Birmingham box with number 547611 , but badge is small Gaunt with "number 841571 on back" . Probablty a genuine mistake as it has a very cheap 'buy it now' price.

Photo 2 - Birmingham box with number 577879 British Legion , but badge is small Gaunt Royal British Legion with no number. Comes with a BLWS badge but has a price of £29.99 !


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[Shiny]

Hi All,

I've just been lucky and picked up a boxed Women's Section badge and a small man's with the damnit fitting, £5.25 for both including post.

I don't remember seeing too many boxed women's ones so I'm pleased with that.

Michael

[mike_vee]

Nice badges Michael , I've got a boxed WS badge (Birmingham Medal Co.) but am still hunting for an earlier Gaunt version.

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[mike_vee]

A standard Birmingham Medal Co. badge but with an error on the Registered Design number.

Correct # 684409

Wrong # 984409

Have seen this previously , so assume a 'bad batch' were produced and the error was not immediately picked up.

A rough 'guestimate' based on the membership number would date this badge to 1944/1945.

[dumdum]

Hi Mike

I'll look through mine and see if there's one there. It would be interesting to know what the BL had to say on the matter...

I once was sent a picture of a struck badge for the "Ex-Navel Men's Association".

I wonder if they were the same as the Naval lot.......

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by dumdum

I'll look through mine and see if there's one there. It would be interesting to know what the BL had to say on the matter...

Thinking about my 'guestimate' of the date the badge is possibly from the last run of the larger badges made by Birmingham Medal Co. , as Gaunt took over the contract in 1945/46 and started producing the smaller size badges (and the 'new style' WS ones).

Someone in the workshop having a bit of fun ?

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[dumdum]

Hi Mike

I will look out for one of those "mistakes".

I do suspect that the "navel" men's badge was just made by someone who was napping at the switch that day.

I also have a homeservice badge where a letter "N" has been put backwards. At first I couldn't work out what was wrong and then I twigged.

It would have meant that when cutting the die they had made the text as a positive as opposed to a negative.

Not exactly the Tank Corps facing the wrong way but a bit of humour nonetheless.

Are any of our members "ex-navel men"?

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by mike_vee

A standard Birmingham Medal Co. badge but with an error on the Registered Design number.

Correct # 684409

Wrong # 984409

Have seen this previously , so assume a 'bad batch' were produced and the error was not immediately picked up.

A rough 'guestimate' based on the membership number would date this badge to 1944/1945.

Just spotted another one from the same "batch" with membership #531027 .

This one has a 'Buy it Now' price of £30.00 + postage !

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[mike_vee]

Just arrived , a large Gaunt button hole fitting badge. These were made/issued from 1921 - 1928 , I've already got one and the pin fitting version so why get another ?

Well , it is a guaranteed 1921 badge and possibly one issued in the first month (or even week) , it has a three digit number 842 !

Approximately 18,100 members joined in 1921 and by 1928 there were roughly 220,000 members , so a nice addition to my collection.

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[Shiny]

Very nice Mike, that was a great spot.

Michael

[dumdum]

Originally Posted by mike_vee

Just arrived , a large Gaunt button hole fitting badge. These were made/issued from 1921 - 1928 , I've already got one and the pin fitting version so why get another ?

Well , it is a guaranteed 1921 badge and possibly one issued in the first month (or even week) , it has a three digit number 842 !

Approximately 18,100 members joined in 1921 and by 1928 there were roughly 220,000 members , so a nice addition to my collection.

.

Very nice Mike! Always great when you get low number items of badges, etc. that would have been issued in their thousands.