The Queen's Own Royal Yeomanry (Staffordshire)

[High Wood]

I have just been given this and I am not quite sure what I have been given.

It appears to have been cast from an original helmet plate and somebody has put the Stafford knot on upside down. I had thought that it was a presentation piece perhaps made for an old soldier. However, on removing it from the plaque I was surprised to see that it had lugs so it was clearly meant to be worn. It may be a film prop or an outright fake.

It is quite a hefty chunk of metal and the fact that whoever made it did not realise that the knot was upside down does not bode well for its provenance.

I would welcome your thoughts.

[High Wood]

K&K describe this pattern as a Yeomanry full dress helmet badge, worn between 1859 and 1893. The Star, and background to the knot in silver.
K&K 1512,

[High Wood]

I have just scraped away a small patch of the black gunk around the central oval, which appears to have been soldered in place. It may be possible to unsolder it and turn it the right way up before re soldering it.

[GriffMJ]

...here is the officer version. (The knots been put on upside down, on your plate, by the look of it?)

[High Wood]

Thank you for the image of the officer's plate with is superb fretwork. My plate seems to have been cast from the officer's plate albeit with the central device cast separately. I do not believe that the other ranks's version would have had such fine fret work, but as I have never seen one, I do not know for sure.

What I cannot understand is why someone would cast a copy of an officer's helmet plate and attach lugs unless a, they were issued to O.R.s as an economy measure, b, it was made as a theatrical or film prop or perhaps for a reenactment group, or, c, it is an outright fake meant to deceive.

If anyone has a photograph of an O.R's helmet plate that they could post, I would be grateful.

[Staffsyeoman]

s-l1600.jpg

Here's one. Recently sold in America. It has suffered stress fractures, but you get the idea.