How to take Gaunt tablets - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

#1 16-09-11, 01:55 PM

I may be mistaken about this, but of late (through the odd PM, off-forum discussions, occasional forum post, and not to mention the ever-buzzing badge-gossip-grapevine) I kind of get the impression that there is a minor panic-epidemic in progress over badges bearing the JR Gaunt tablet.

Is it widely considered that Gaunt tablets should only be seen on certain types of badges, and that there is currently a moody batch in circulation?

I am not sure particularly that I would be able to readily recognise a 'bad' Gaunt tablet if I saw one (unless it was ridiculously obvious, of course)... would anyone have an example of a fake Gaunt tablet for reference?

Some badges I have never seen without tablets, such as the CLNGV.

Here are a few of mine which I condier to be fine, but what do I know

:

GT1.jpg GT2.jpg GT3.jpg GT4.jpg

Regards,

Peter

Phil2M · #2 16-09-11, 02:00 PM

I thought from the title that this was going to be a joke of some kind. take two with water after food, 3 times a day!! or something similar!! a cure for restrikeitis?

Phil

Lampwick · #3 16-09-11, 02:18 PM

Does it matter if the tablet is upside down? Here are a couple on my 8th Southland Infantry one of which is upside down. (The first tablet looks as if it's impressed but it's an optical illusion.)

whizzbang · #4 16-09-11, 02:21 PM

Hi Peter,

The plates in your pics all look OK to me. Here are pics of two that would make me think twice. Too neat and tidy.

Cheers, Ian.

whizzbang · #5 16-09-11, 02:23 PM

Hi Lampwick,

Often upside down! Your first one looks ok to me as well, second one possibly ok too but font is similar to the ones I showed...

Cheers, Ian.

#6 16-09-11, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lampwick

Does it matter if the tablet is upside down? Here are a couple on my 8th Southland Infantry one of which is upside down. (The first tablet looks as if it's impressed but it's an optical illusion.)

Terry,

I've got an uppydown one on a Royal Fusiliers OSD cap badge:

GT5.jpg

Peter

#7 16-09-11, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whizzbang

Hi Peter,

The plates in your pics all look OK to me. Here are pics of two that would make me think twice. Too neat and tidy.

Cheers, Ian.

Hello Ian,

So as a loose rule of thumb, the untidier (within reason) the better?

Peter.

whizzbang · #8 16-09-11, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter J

Hello Ian,

So as a loose rule of thumb, the untidier (within reason) the better?

Peter.

Yes - the two tablets I show are on suspect badges (one I think is a post-WW1 reunion badge to the Cdn Machine gun Corps, so may have in fact been made by Gaunt but not contemporary to the period). The tablets I have seen on good badges are all rougher looking - not nice, crisp stampings and the tablets themselves are not perfect rectangles.

Cheers, Ian.

#9 16-09-11, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whizzbang

Yes - the two tablets I show are on suspect badges (one I think is a post-WW1 reunion badge to the Cdn Machine gun Corps, so may have in fact been made by Gaunt but not contemporary to the period). The tablets I have seen on good badges are all rougher looking - not nice, crisp stampings and the tablets themselves are not perfect rectangles.

Cheers, Ian.

Thanks blokes.

So, what of the faintly tanigble spectre of Gaunt tablet-misgiving, that's been floating about of late... anyone else picked up on this?

[I did hesitate when considering starting this thread... I know how easily the sky can fall down ]

Peter.

Nozzer · #10 16-09-11, 03:53 PM

Hi, there is a Canadian Machine Gun corps with a Gaunt plate doing the rounds at the moment. It can be found on a certain internet auction site on a regular basis and I am not to sure about it

#11 16-09-11, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andyh

Hi, there is a Canadian Machine Gun corps with a Gaunt plate doing the rounds at the moment. It can be found on a certain internet auction site on a regular basis and I am not to sure about it

Hello Andy,

Would you say this particular badge's tablet falls on the smart or scruffy side of the line? Not that I wish to over-simplify the issue by employing such a loose generalisation.

Peter

Nozzer · #12 16-09-11, 04:21 PM

Hi Peter

I don't have the badge myself, it is in a friends collection. The tablet did look tidy and the badge was bronzed. It is a standard MGC badge on lugs with a curved Canada scroll. The Guant tablet is on the back of the crown. I can't find one on the auction site, but I am sure it will crop up soon.

Andy

#13 16-09-11, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andyh

Hi Peter

I don't have the badge myself, it is in a friends collection. The tablet did look tidy and the badge was bronzed. It is a standard MGC badge on lugs with a curved Canada scroll. The Guant tablet is on the back of the crown. I can't find one on the auction site, but I am sure it will crop up soon.

Andy

Thanks, Andy. Always good to have these sorts of things a points of reference. I'll certainly keep an eye out for that one.

Many thanks,

Peter.

Sonofacqms · #14 16-09-11, 04:54 PM

I panic whenever I see Gaunt tablets on anything other than RND cap badges. Named sliders are now common, where were they in the 1950's?

whizzbang · #15 16-09-11, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andyh

Hi Peter

I don't have the badge myself, it is in a friends collection. The tablet did look tidy and the badge was bronzed. It is a standard MGC badge on lugs with a curved Canada scroll. The Guant tablet is on the back of the crown. I can't find one on the auction site, but I am sure it will crop up soon.

Andy

Hi Andy - from your description, I am pretty sure that type of Cdn MG you are referring to is suspect (one of the Gaunt tablets I posted above is on the same badge). Well known ebay purveyors of fakes have plenty of them in stock, complete with dodgy Gaunt tablets. The kindest theory I have heard is that they are reunion badges. I tend to believe this as many are high-quality badges. Cheers, Ian.