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  #16  
Old 17-01-22, 09:07 AM
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I was the underbidder but agree with everything Alex has said. The trouble is of course I had to have a serious go for it just in case it was right. The early silver and gilt officer’s badges I do have in my collection are all very well made die cast examples.

If right, the hallmark date would put it the year after the pattern was first approved.

As to who would have worn it I don’t have a clue as it doesn’t fit with known regular, militia or volunteer officers' badges. In all my research I have never come across any reference to an all gold coloured officer’s metal cap badge.

With regard to silver gilt badges I do have a very nice example to the RMRE hallmarked for the early 1990s if memory serves me right.

Last edited by 41st; 17-01-22 at 12:56 PM.
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  #17  
Old 17-01-22, 07:54 PM
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Could this be for a Royal Patronage, who was Colonel in Chief of the Welch Regt. at that time, similar to our Royals today wearing the Badges and Regalia of current Regiments?

Just a thought? Billy
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  #18  
Old 17-01-22, 09:42 PM
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If I was the CO I would have been rather miffed about the difference in quality between the badge in question and the usual standard of Officer’s S&G badges.
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Last edited by 41st; 18-01-22 at 11:13 AM.
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  #19  
Old 17-01-22, 09:44 PM
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Front of aforesaid badges.
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  #20  
Old 18-01-22, 09:58 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Rice View Post
Interesting discussion, I wouldn't have touched it with a bargepole, so would love to learn more about it. I have been collecting infantry officer badges for a while now and have never seen one made like that, ie: scroll tabbed onto the feathers. I would have assumed it to be an out-and-out fake. Why make a silver badge in 2 parts, it means it was die-struck. Most silver badges are cast and a decent silversmith would have made in in one piece. Too many alarms bells for me and I would not be surprised if somebody has been ripped off.
Cheers,
Alex
definitely an odd one, I have welsh etc on my saved searches so I saw this before it got any bids and was watching it. The construction seems very atypical for a hm badge. I hope whomever bought it got a very unusual and genuine badge for their money.
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  #21  
Old 18-01-22, 10:41 AM
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Thank you all for your interesting comments and particularly 41st for showing us your beautiful examples , no comparison with the £460 one and I agree I would also be very miffed as a senior officer to be presented with this quality of badge! Looking at it more carefully I think you are all right that it is the early date letter and for that I would have expected a much better cast quality as per 41st's examples. However, why all gilt is still a mystery if it was an issued badge!
Denis
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  #22  
Old 18-01-22, 03:06 PM
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I think it could be a 2nd Boer War officers' slouch hat badge. I say that because, many moons ago, I had a Dorsets cap badge, Victorian pattern, of the same make-up, all-over gilt-plated hm silver. An old collector I knew told me it was a 2nd Boer War officers' slouch hat badge and thereafter kept asking me when I was going to sell it to him, time and time again, until I let him have when I gave up the hobby. He's now long dead but someone else out there must have it now.
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  #23  
Old 19-01-22, 01:44 PM
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Hi All
I have just been contacted privately by somebody who believes the badges is, as Hoot says, 2nd Boer War. He thinks it is one made for the 3rd Militia Batt of the Welsh Regiment which was embodied for service in South Africa in December 1899. He said one other came on auction 25 years ago and he believes this is same. If he's right, it is a seriously rare badge. Obviously with other regimental badges around which have been gilded, it isn't a totally unique thing to be done.
Cheers,
Alex
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  #24  
Old 19-01-22, 02:30 PM
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That may make more sense if it was originally silver and gilded at a later date as I have a silvered two piece badge converted to blades at rear which I have always presumed was for an officer in the militia.
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...pictureid=7575
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...pictureid=7576

Last edited by 41st; 19-01-22 at 07:34 PM.
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  #25  
Old 19-01-22, 02:42 PM
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Didn’t get around to posting this prior to the possible conclusion in Alex’s post.

I was going to say that early die stamped hallmarked silver badges are not unknown, many officers Cross Belt Plates exhibit this construction. What is unusual and I cannot account for is the tagged construction and why both pieces are not marked.

That said the hallmark looks genuine, it has not been spliced onto the badge. If the badge fakers were reproducing hallmarks like that there were would be a lot of worried collectors looking askance at their Lonsdales Pals etc.

Also regards the badge itself there was nothing wrong with the die it was from in my opinion. Add to that the age and finish etc. did not ring alarm bells. Albeit the gilt finish is unusual so perhaps a later addition?

Personally I prefer the die stamped badge being discussed to the slidered die cast one. I would say the former is higher quality but that is my own opinion and subjective. Obviously all three are very well made and finished, just differently.

So if it is a Boer War slouch hat badge that wouldn’t surprise me and the price realised not quite so astronomical for what it is. Three very lovely and rare badges shown in this thread.
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  #26  
Old 20-01-22, 10:17 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Rice View Post
Hi All
I have just been contacted privately by somebody who believes the badges is, as Hoot says, 2nd Boer War. He thinks it is one made for the 3rd Militia Batt of the Welsh Regiment which was embodied for service in South Africa in December 1899. He said one other came on auction 25 years ago and he believes this is same. If he's right, it is a seriously rare badge. Obviously with other regimental badges around which have been gilded, it isn't a totally unique thing to be done.
Cheers,
Alex
Hi all.

I was the seller on ebay of the badge we are discussing. As Alex mentions above there was a similar badge that sold in 1996. The buyer of this badge contacted me and said that he bought that badge in 1996, that was the last one that came to auction. He now has two. He wasn't at all surprised at the price of the badge...thanks..Sarah
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  #27  
Old 20-01-22, 10:58 AM
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How very interesting and that seems to explain the mystery and shows the importance of detailed knowledge on these matters - amazing for the new owner now to have 2 !!
Denis
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  #28  
Old 20-01-22, 11:00 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 41st View Post
That may make more sense if it was originally silver and gilded at a later date as I have a silvered two piece badge converted to blades at rear which I have always presumed was for an officer in the militia.
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...pictureid=7575
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...pictureid=7576
Are you sure that this isn't a silver-plated ORs badge, possibly for an officer? The reason I ask is that it looks like there is a vent hole behind the coronet which has been plated over?
Cheers,
Alex
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  #29  
Old 02-02-22, 09:10 PM
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Recall the seller gave permission for the pictures to be posted here for posterity, however those posts appears to be a casualties of the forum re-set.
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