ZULU WAR OR 24th FOOT GLENGARRY BADGE OPINIONS

[actionoke]

This came to me in a Zulu war collection which included ground dug items from the 1960 when it was still ok to search the Zulu War battlefields for relics.
Lugs have been soldered on or reinforced?The badge appears to have been buried at sometime as its pitted and crown damaged.Would like to know opinions on it please.

[Sonofacqms]

From looking at your glengarry badge there appears to have been a loop in the lower part of the badge which is a good sign I think, nice sharp details on the reverse and I would say an original item with damage.

Rob

[Alex Rice]

I have no idea but I don't like the look of the numbers from the front, I would have thought the 4 would have been more voided.

[Sonofacqms]

Alex, I take your point with the voiding, could be better executed.

Rob

[Toby Purcell]

It looks more like a sand cast badge made from impressing an original badge into damp sand to create a cast. The striking of genuine badges gives a much better relief to the front of the badge that is apparent even after heavy, long term polishing. One can imagine how much money could be made by reproducing many badges using a single genuine badge as the ‘master’. Following the popularity of the ZULU movie with Michael Caine in the late 1960s one can imagine the impetus to make a fast buck from tourists around Zululand and beyond.

[Sonofacqms]

I think the author of this post should to be fair add dimensions of this badge, if it has been "sandcast" as suggested it would be smaller than an original glengarry.

Although looking at the damaged crown I would say it has been struck rather than cast.

Rob

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by Sonofacqms

I think the author of this post should to be fair add dimensions of this badge, if it has been "sandcast" as suggested it would be smaller than an original glengarry.

Although looking at the damaged crown I would say it has been struck rather than cast.

Rob

You make a very good point about the striking on the rear of the badge, Rob, as sand cast badges usually have solid backs. It’s really the very poor relief of the front of the badge, especially the numerals, that doesn’t sit right with me. The lugs also seem very crude, but overall I’ll reserve judgement and I’m not so sure now given the appearance of the obverse.

[actionoke]

SIZE without crown top as its missing is 75 mm top to bottom and 42 mm across on the circle but this is definitely not a sand cast.

[Sonofacqms]

Thanks for the measurements, I have just measured my 80th Foot glengarry which has had the crown broken off and the loops missing when I got it, but it measures 42mm across the middle of the strap, so on that basis I think your glengarry may well be an original.

Rob

[actionoke]

hi
thanks Rob appreciate your effort

[Frank Kelley]

Solely from the photographs, I would say that, all things considered, on the balance of probability, that is an original badge, sadly, in a very poor state,
The reverse does not appear to match the obverse certainly at a first glance, the lugs are completely spurious and there is no way that they been in, or, indeed, on the veldt, for ninety years and the individual who has cleaned it, has given the obverse a little too much attention.
All that said, I still think it does look original, the material that was used was very thin as well as being quite brittle, tiny factures around the crown are not all that unusual on strap patterns, although, on that example "tiny" is not a word that I would use, notwithstanding, it is something that I have encountered on occasion, whilst collecting Transvaal War over the last few decades.
Although, I would have expected to see rather more evidence of the original lugs rather than just the "ghost" of the lower one, unless, the individual who added the new lugs decided to make sure that evidence was removed, in which case, he has done you absolutely no favours whatsoever.

Again, only my opinion and based only upon what I can see.
Good luck with it.

Originally Posted by actionoke

This came to me in a Zulu war collection which included ground dug items from the 1960 when it was still ok to search the Zulu War battlefields for relics.
Lugs have been soldered on or reinforced?The badge appears to have been buried at sometime as its pitted and crown damaged.Would like to know opinions on it please.

[Alex Rice]

Sorry, posted this in the clasifieds by mistake, but here is a link to a thread regarding my example.
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ight=glengarry

One issue which I have with the badge on this thread is the lugs. If it was ground dug, why did somebody then solder lugs to the back as I doubt they are 140 years old? Could it have been a re-enactors badge which fell off at a battle site?

[Nozzer]

Soldier of Fortune (SOF) do a 24th of Foot Glengarry badge that should be kept an eye on IMO

https://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/24th-f...rry-badge.html

[john gregory]

I thought the lugs on an original are north and south.

[Borderer]

Originally Posted by john gregory

I thought the lugs on an original are north and south.

Quite correct, the whole badge does not sit right with me.

Cheers
Hiram