Earl Haig Fund - cardboard poppy

[dumdum]

Hi all

Another poppy from the archives! This Australian stickpin poppy is made by K.G. Luke of Melbourne and is possibly from the 1940s onwards.

The back stamp is often seen on association lapels and other similar badges. Had been seeking one for some time and missed out on an example bought by a bidder with a lot more money than I had at the time and then got this (also on eBay) for a very nominal figure some months later....

[Hawthorn]

Looks a very well made item and almost the forerunner of all the metal RBL metal style poppies you see on say today.

Simon.

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by Hawthorn

Looks a very well made item and almost the forerunner of all the metal RBL metal style poppies you see on say today.

Simon.

Definite similarity with with these two , I wonder if it was based on this real poppy :

a beautiful, fragile poppy … pressed for posterity … plucked by A.E.F. Driver Rupert George Cooke from the Pozières battlefield in May 1917. After that poignant act, he sent it home to his family in New South Wales, Australia.

https://poppyladymadameguerin.files....atermarked.jpg


.

[dumdum]

Thanks guys. Could well be as you state. Mike, what period are those poppy stick pins please?

They appear to be what is these days called "hard enamel" (the "soft enamel" is basically a fancy form of resin....) so I would suggest not much after the 70's. Yes?

Cheers for now!

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by dumdum

Mike, what period are those poppy stick pins please?

Haven't been able to date them (yet !) but I have a couple of other items that have TRBL (The Royal British Legion) on them and think these were produced shortly after the British Legion got the "Royal" appellation on 29 May 1971 .

.

[dumdum]

Hi Mike

Many thanks for that. You don't get many hard enamel badges after the 70's.

Talking to the couple of retired guys I know and have known, the effort of making them was rarely reflected in the price obtained!