RCD Badge on ebay

[whizzbang]

Refer to ebay item number 310067110140 ...

This one confounds me - looks in general like a WW1 RCD cap badge but look at the motto - the words are well spaced out which I don't think was done until the 1960's. The older pattern runs all the words together.

It is correct copper construction and even has a JR Gaunt plate! (though I wasn't ware Gaunt made this badge).

Cheers, Ian.

[Bill A]

Interesting badge. One source, Thompson, indicates that the spaced out motto only appeared in the 1960's. However, that would be odd if the badge is Gaunt made but with the recent die.

[DavidS]

except Charlton's First World War Canadian Corps Badges shows the WW1 badge with spaced motto and I have a WW1 pattern with a spaced motto. I think it's more a case of "it was, it wasn't, then it was again" and that the die remake Thompson credits to 1969 was a re-adoption of what had once been regarding word spacing.

[whizzbang]

Thanks for the responses guys. I just looked in my copy of Charleton and realised the same thing on the word spacing, hadn't noticed that before!
Cheers, Ian.

[Bill A]

David, could you post an image of the CEF pattern RCD? I checked my so-called WW1 pattern RCD badge and I am not convinced that it is that era after examination.
On re-examination, the Gaunt plate on the ebay auction looks good.
The RCD's is one of those units that, like the QOR, it is difficult to pin down time periods and sequence of issue for badges.

[guest_000]

I would accept this badge in my collection as CEF

paul

[Bill A]

Hello Paul, Clarification here. This string is about the cap badge listed on ebay as lot 310067110140 and not the helmet plate you sold.

[guest_000]

sorry edited to conform

[DavidS]

Bill: front and back of the old pattern, as well as compared with a lugged post-1969 badge. No maker mark on the WW1 badge, and I did clean it, as it had a ton of gunk and some active corrosion when I got it. The fact I had to shoot the pix outside for light doesn't help -- it's really not that shiny, just a nice dull glow.

[Doug N]

Gaunt's share of bulk OR badge contracts shrank to near zero by WW2, as the government seemed to favour domestic suppliers. Even so, they did possess tooling for many of the badge patterns from orders they had received earlier. This allowed Gaunt to remain in the officer's private purchase business. There are a lot of Canadian units where you'll find Gaunt officer badges struck from early OR dies. The RC Dragoons are a good example.

The 'separate word' RCD badge did not entirely disappear between the CEF era & 1960-something. The pic shows a sterling, a bronze, & a gilt example; all from essentailly the same die as the CEF badge. I would date these pieces variously from early militia to WW2. Nothing is absolute in 'badge world', is it?

[guest_000]

would be nice to see the reverse of these badges to more get an idea of their manufacture era Doug the last gilt is nice officer later one for sure

PAUL