R N D Collingwood Btn sweetheart

[mm1]

Hi All,

have recently purchased a nice original RND Collingwood Btn sweetheart badge. Hallmarked for Birmingham 1914 and maker marked ' S Bros '. My question is - how rare are these ? A few can be found on the net, but can't see another for sale. So, if the early Btn. had say, 800 + men, how many would buy sweetheart badges(bearing in mind they are silver with gold plate, so won't have been cheap) ? Also, they are a small item, so have to take into account how many actually have survived. I know it's an impossible question to answer with any certainty, but I am thinking can't be too many about.

Cheers, Mark

[magpie]

Yours looks perhaps a one off, the silver brooch body may be a stock item with the Collingwood RND, anchor and flowers added to order.

[mm1]

Must have been a few produced - Regimental Brooches had one - see item 11148. Yes, I think the back plate was standard and particular Btn details added.

Mark

[magpie]

The same but different.

[mm1]

Yes, I had noticed slightly different. Could be down to different production periods - the hallmark on mine is for 1914, but the one on regimental brooches states date for 1915.
I note in their history, that the 'old' Collingwood were mostly taken prisoner around Antwerp in 1914 and only 22 arrived back in England.The 'new' Btn(containing the remnants of the old)saw service in Gallipoli in 1915 and then disbanded in 1916.

Mark

[High Wood]

If the back plate is a basic design used for Royal Naval sweetheart brooches, there must be examples with H.M.S. (ship's name as required).

The anchor can probably be fitted anywhere in the centre circle allowing the space for lettering to be altered depending on the name of the ship.