Silver RTR Badge

[Landyman101]

Opinions welcomed please on this badge.
HM sterling (no date letter) and J&C makers mark.
Does have the letters A S stamped/engraved in the reverse supposedly the owners initials.
Is it a pre war example as has been suggested to me ?
Regards
Gary

[Alan O]

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/mak...ks/jennens.htm

This explains the date of the maker's mark.

I am wary of it as a Jennings badge as the 1924 date would make it very early, the mark is not the firm's usual configuration and I wold like to see a silver hallmark and not a 'sterling'.

Perhaps is it a much later maker?

[Landyman101]

Thanks Alan .. it is on offer with the chaps WW2 medal group but he was a pre war member of the RTR.

He was Major and Quarter Master 6th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment till 1941 when he was appointed commandant of a camp (POW?) at Suez Egypt.

In your opinion does it look to be a genuine silver officer's example albeit from a different maker than Jennens.

Cheers

Gary

[Cribyn]

Hello Gary

Not sure whether this helps or not but according to this site - http://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/M...-JA-JB.html#J& - the 'J & Co' mark within a cloverleaf-like symbol was used by Jennens & Co but only between about 1889 and 1911.

Roger

[Landyman101]

Thanks Roger .. certainly does look like the J&co MM inside a clover and seeing as the RTR did not exist between those dates it does look a bit suspect.

But as Alan mentioned could be another maker who has adopted that no longer registered mark ?

Still not sure whether it is a genuine badge then ...

[Alan O]

Gaunt continued with the name post 1924 but they did use JR Gaunt Late Jennings rather than the clover leaf. Unfortunately the mark does not marry up with the period of wear of the badge.

Perhaps it is not a period badge but has been added to the medal grouping at a later date; perhaps by the soldier or possibly by the seller looking to 'salt-the-mine' and increase the medal's group value?

[fearnaught]

Hi Gary, a clearer image would help but that said it appears to be based on the JRG badge. The earliest Gaunt badge I have is 1927 and that and later ones have blade fixings. The only sterling marked Gaunt badge I have is finely impressed and has a brooch fitting and chain so may have been made that way originally as a piece of jewellery. The later JRG silver badges have 3 lugs and don't appear to be as thick as the lugs on your badge. At a guess, I'd say it may be Egyptian made, Indians tend to mark their badges "silver". The saving grace is the AS, were they the purported owner's initials? and do they look contemporary with the rest of the badge? Also if you get an accurate measurement of the badge that would indicate if it is a casting from an original.Hope this helps in some way, best wishes Mike

[Landyman101]

Many thanks Mike ... I have decided to pass on the badge ... but do think from chatting to the vendor that it is most likely to be a period badge from just before or during WW2

Cheers

Gary