Opinions needed - 10th Halifax Siege Badge

[GregN]

Rob, I'm going to vote No as well. What bothers me is the crystalline structure of the verdigris. I don't know how they do it but I think the badge is dipped then hung over a boiling solution. The copper salts only affect the front not the back and the tangs seem unbent. It's too crusty to be legit.

Greg

[Rob Dekker]

Alright, let the games begin...

The photos are a bit soft, I was just using my iPhone to take the pics. If you want better ones, let me know and I'll drag out my DSLR.

The badges measures approximately 68mm x 50mm.

[whizzbang]

Hi Rob,

What is the finish like on the badge? It not coming through well in the photos. If its got a proper green pickeled finish (maybe give it a gentle clean with some soap and water...it does look a little cruddy - I sometimes use WD40 which brings up pickeld finishes a treat but is likely sacrilege to some..) I think I'd be happy with it. However, if some of those "cruds" (e.g., looks like some around the letters on "DUCUNT") are part of the badge I'd be concerned it was cast, though I'm not aware of there being CEF Artillery fakes with tangs that look that good. The giveaway on the Dracs fakes is that the attached end of the tangs was left on when they made the castings, leaving a little triangle to which they then applied lugs resulting in a characteristic weird "lump" around the lugs that they tried to hide with solder. I can post a photo if anyone is interested - one of my very expensive hard lessons.

Cheers, Ian.

[Rob Dekker]

Beats me...I'm colour blind...especially when it comes to greens and browns, etc. The badges has a decent provenance from a non-collector....fresh out of the woodwork as they say. I would be very surprised if it was a copy...but anything is possible I guess. But, if it is a fake...it's time to shutter the doors and windows and forget about badges.

I'll dig up my other camera and shoot it with an off white background...or run it thru the scanner.

[Bill A]

With the talk of reproductions, adding this link to an old post of mine about new technologies that will impact the hobby.
3d photocopying is making leaps and bounds and is now using other materials than plastics.
http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...ighlight=dracs

[manchesters]

Bill,

Having studied all the threads on here that deal with CFA badges I became aware of what fakes are out there that we know about, and about those that Could be out there that we dont yet know about.

Your thread link above is now 6 years old so we have at least 6 years worth of 3D copies floating about.

Another thread from about the same time warned us that CFA badges with tangs are on the market, so that was a further issue regarding identifying fakes.

My overiding problem with many of the CFA badges illustrated throughout these threads is the regularity in which their condition appears unduly decrepid and aged.

This can be sunmmarised by the presence of the following identfiers:-

1. matt blacking, mostly to the rear and rear centres caused by the addition of a discolouring substance;

2. Verdigris on most of them;

3. Red bits that appear just on the central roundel only;

4. The lack of any visible jointing agent between the roundel and the badge, such as braze or solder, again hidden by the blackening

5. The apparant lack of service use of the tangs.

Now, one of these things on a badge wouldnt put me off, but when ALL of these things appear on virtually ALL of the disputed CFA badges you have to ask the question WHY?

Im my very large collection of other badges NONE of these features keep cropping up, whether the badge is 200 years old or 20 years old, so why are they on these?

I also have to reiterate another point that I made earlier in the thread about die flaw marks that I have seen repeated on two 10th Seige Battery badges now, which tallies with Bills thread on 3D copying.

I make these points to create discussion not to rubbish anyones collection.

regards

[Rob Dekker]

Alright, the badge took a good bath...please don't tell my daughter I used her toothbrush.

[GregN]

Looks much better now!

[Pylon1357]

Good lord. If this badge is a fake, I am so hooped. I have a WWI medals pair to a fellow who joined the 10th Halifax Siege Battery. With the medal pair, I also got a single numeral "10" and a HALIFAX title. I was sort of hoping to include a cap badge in the display. BUT, since the unit on the medal is CFA, I think I will just go that route.

[Bill A]

After having a good look at the images of the cleaned badge, (Rob, hope your daughter doesn't get green teeth...), I think it is okay.