Royal Irish Rifles Lapel ?

[jfenzy1]

Hello Guys,
Does anybody know if this is a Lapel badge? It looks to small to be a collar badge. It has two copper fixing wires to the rear, approx 2 inches long, and the badge itself is about the size of a new 1 penny piece or smaller. I have several other different badges of the approx same size, but all have the fixings broken off.
Jim

[leigh kitchen]

Looks like a boss badge.

[ebro]

The fixing wires and size look like a boss badge.

[jfenzy1]

Ahhh....thanks for that lads, I see now what a boss badge is. I never even knew they existed. I have several of these, all different, and all without the actual backing. Just the tiny metal badges, and most without fixings. I will look closer into it. Thanks for the input.
Jim

[billy]

That is very corroded, Boss badges tended to be Silver, but the wire could have been added later as it's in a loop where just two seperate wire would be, also found with threaded posts

[jfenzy1]

Billy,
I bent the wires around myself for ease of storage, they are actually 2 long straight wires. Maybe the badge itself is very old, its not been cleaned at all. I do not know anything about boss badges. I will try to find out more now that I know what it is.
Jim

[brainey]

If blackened brass its a bandsmans badge worn on a larger oval boss pre WW1.