26th Hussars, opinions welcome

[Paddy]

Dear All

I've just received this 26th Hussars badge and although it looks good and hasn't got the 2 usual fake give aways (feather defect and excess metal around the sceptre) I would still appreciate fellow member's opinions.

Many thanks in advance

Paddy

[Alan O]

That is a good imo. The feathers on the back of the head are more in proportion than the fakes.

Alan

[GriffMJ]

is this badge a copy?

Compared to the first example...

[Staffsyeoman]

Sorry to spoilt the party; not keen. Don't have a picture to compare, but the lettering is uneven (look at the 'U' of Hussars) and too large.

[peter seaman]

Hello Paddy,
The 26th Hussars head dress badge is fine, and I can tell you that it came from a Gaunt die. Apart from some feather detail I also look at the placing of the lines on the orb, the letter 'R' and the seven very small feathers situated between the top of the wings and the line which terminates with the three loops -trefoil. On restrikes there's only six small feathers.
All good wishes,
Peter

[Alan O]

For comparison the common fake with the 3 most glaring faults pointed out.

[GriffMJ]

Looking at that one Alan....... then maybe the one I put up is a real one? The one I put up has loops and not a slider...... but its certainly better defined than the fake that you put up ..... maybe Peter could comment on the badge I put up? I think now that the detail is good in this badge..... look at the small eagle held in the foot....its complete. (look at the same thing on the first badge ..... its not the same)

If anything....Alans fake example looks like this one IMO?

[1stTankie]

Hi Paddy

In my opinion this is a genuine 26th Hussars badge.

The slider reads JR GAUNT LONDON

I hope this helps

Best wishes

Gordon

[Alan O]

Griff,

I suspect your might be a collar badge. The 22nd DG (another war raised Cav regt) also wore collars. Can anyone confirm whether the 26th did as well? I also doubt that any dealer would sell it as a copy.

Alan

[peter seaman]

Hello Gordon & Griff,
The 26H head dress badge depicted with loops is a Gaunt struck badge and differes markedly from that shown by Alan O highlighting the three repro pointers.
As to collars - in my new book "For Hostilities Ony" collar badges are illustrated for the 22D, 23H, 24L, 25D 26H & 27L and shown in photographs of them being worn. The 26H pattern eagle with title scroll were worn as collars, exactly the same size as the head dress badge, but not as facing pairs. The 26H head dress badge was reproduced by Gaunt in the early 70's. I forgot to pick up on the point that Staffsyeoman made about the letter 'U' being a different size, I'm afraid to say that that is as it is on the original badges.

All good wishes,
Peter

[Paddy]

Dear All

Many thanks for all your comments. I think the concensus is that it is a good badge.

One observation based on the comments from Staffsyeoman about the uneven lettering, in particular the "U". Having looked at the pictures of the badges all posted as originals the U in all of these badges also looks smaller than the ones shown as copies. In the copies the U appears to be the same size as the remainder of the lettering.

Peter - You said that Gaunt reproduced the head dress badge in the early 70s, is there any way of telling one of these 70s badges from the WWII era badges?

Many thanks again

Paddy

[peter seaman]

Hello Paddy,

Not only did Gaunts reproduce the 26H during the early 1970's they also restruck the 22D, 23H, 24L & 25D (However, I found no record of the 27L being restruck at this date). The 24L & 27L large gilding metal buttons with the back stamp "Gaunt London", I'm credibly informed, were also struck at this time. Presumably the original dies would have been used to restrike these head dress badges so I'm at a loss as to what to look for in order to determine a WW2 struck badge from one produced in the 1970's other than the naming on any sliders fitted. When I asked Gaunts for some guidance on this matter I was offered nothing.

All good wishes

Peter

[Staffsyeoman]

Just to add to Peter's post above - the Gaunt restrike buttons are easily spotted as the naming is mishit and seems to fade in the -unt part. My late father, the button collector, picked up some cheaply. From the front they look fine.

As a 35-year badge collector, and I'm mindful typing blind where tone and inference are absent, I am becoming disheartened when offering a view on badges which are the duds which started appearing in the 70s in this forum there is a long queue to tell me I'm wrong. Is it like Fox glengarry badges? Because they're old fakes they're acceptable fakes? Rant over.

[Keith Blakeman]

Originally Posted by peter seaman

Hello Paddy,

Not only did Gaunts reproduce the 26H during the early 1970's they also restruck the 22D, 23H, 24L & 25D (However, I found no record of the 27L being restruck at this date). The 24L & 27L large gilding metal buttons with the back stamp "Gaunt London", I'm credibly informed, were also struck at this time. Presumably the original dies would have been used to restrike these head dress badges so I'm at a loss as to what to look for in order to determine a WW2 struck badge from one produced in the 1970's other than the naming on any sliders fitted. When I asked Gaunts for some guidance on this matter I was offered nothing.

All good wishes

Peter

Peter,

Did Firmin make 26th Hussars badges also?

[Alan O]

Originally Posted by Staffsyeoman

As a 35-year badge collector, and I'm mindful typing blind where tone and inference are absent, I am becoming disheartened when offering a view on badges which are the duds which started appearing in the 70s in this forum there is a long queue to tell me I'm wrong. Is it like Fox glengarry badges? Because they're old fakes they're acceptable fakes? Rant over.

Single metal badges are always difficult to judge. Please can you post a picture of a genuine one so that we can see your pointers as to why it is a copy. If original dies were being used then I am at a loss as to how you can spot them unless the sliders are obviously wrong, marked Gaunt Bham, wrongly voided or the dies are cracked or significantly worn.

This was an earlier thread which had some good pictures of examples including some definate fakes.

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...hlight=hussars

Alan