21 SAS 'Ugly Minerva' Beret Badges

[pontecagnano]

Looking through old threads recently, whilst researching Mars & Minerva cap badges, there still seems to be some unanswered questions surrounding these. Having peered in my shoebox, I have two examples in my collection of a different pattern to the Martin Marsh fake most commonly encountered. I can't find previously discussed examples of my pattern on the forum but may have missed them.

Interestingly, there is anecdotal evidence from 'Mars & Minerva', in an article by the first RQMS of 21 SAS (1947-1948), that he issued the first Ugly Minerva badge to himself but the badge illustrated, which he photographed for his family years later, is a Martin Marsh fake. This may indicate his original badge was the one based on the 1938 pattern instead. Johan also has a maroon beret from a good source that has the Ugly Minerva badge on which is illustrated in an old thread:

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...3&postcount=19

The biggest problem with this version of the Ugly Minerva is that it is identical to the fake Martin Marsh version featured in his catalogue.

Just to recap, the Martin Marsh badge has the following distinctive features:

1) An oversized 'I' in the motto.
2) Cartoon snakes with the eye of the left hand snake portrayed as a floating disk above the head.
3) Minerva has an '8' eye.
4) Mars has a significantly oversized visor.
5) The scroll also has dimples on the bottom sections. No previous badge with just 'Artists' on the scroll, including the two patterns from 1895-1914, the 1938 pattern worn until 1945 or the 1947 21 SAS pattern have this feature.

The two examples I have, in gilding metal and brass, do not have any of the above features. The faces of Mars and Minerva are very stylised however. Minerva looks a bit 'Brucie' at first glance but her mouth actually protrudes further than her chin.

So are my badges the originals, upon which the Martin Marsh fakes are based, or just slightly more plausible fakes?. One problem with any 21 SAS connection is that they are both yellow metal and all 21 SAS badges were white metal or silver plate.

One possibility, that may explain the yellow metal, is that they are another pre 1914 'Artists' scroll pattern. If this is the case, it still leaves us with the Martin Marsh badge, the manufacture of which post dates M&M cap badges being worn by 21 SAS by many years. One also has to question whether 21 SAS would ever have approved, let alone worn, the Ugly Minerva badge. So was this pattern ever worn by 21 SAS at all? It may have become linked by association because it has 'Artists' on the scroll, the same as the normal 21 SAS pattern, but that doesn't explain Johan's beret and badge.

Just to muddy the waters a little more I'll throw in the white metal 'Constipated Minerva', one up (or possibly down) from the Ugly Minerva.

Although from a different die, this has similarities to my two examples but Mars' visor is oversized like the Martin Marsh badge. Could this pattern be an original white metal Ugly Minerva worn by 21? Personally, I believe the Constipated Minerva badges are fakes but am happy to be corrected.

Can anyone shed any additional light please?

Graham