Cast silver QVC The Royal Irish Regiment

[mooke07]

Hi all,

Nice new badge to my infantry variants collection - cast silver The Royal Irish Regiment QVC cap badge as per K&K 613. Volunteer or NCO?

Enjoy, regards Dean.

[Alan O]

Neither I am suspect as cast silver badges are being churned out by the bucket load.

If it was an Officers badge then I would like to see a hallmark. If there was a WM volunteer badge, and I am not sure there was, then it should be die struck.

Ebay sellers will also sell you the Caoonaught Ranegrs, RMF and RDF badges silver badges to complete the set.

Sorry but I am sceptical of these silver badges becasue of the vast amount of fakes.

[wright241]

Dean,
I'd go along with Alan on this one, you can seem to purchase any "badge" marked with "SILVER" or made out of silver for any regiment these days.
I assume that this does pass the basic "silver" test...?
Send me an email and I will send you close ups of the HMS one I have so that you can at least compare the quality from the front.
David

[Peter Brydon]

There were no Volunteers ( i.e. Rifle Volunteers or later Volunteer Battalions ) in Ireland.

P.B.

[Silver Tourist]

Good afternoon.

And Mr Brydon's response perfectly illustrates the value of buying and reading books.

As Mr Wright correctly observes, there are hallmarked examples to the RIR. And, to my knowledge, all are post 1902. He has, I believe, an example. I have five or maybe six. They appear to have been assayed in two batches. One batch in 1902-3, and a second in 1908-09. The hallmarked examples of the Connaught Rangers' badge follow the same pattern of batches and dates.

In over 35 years of collecting hallmarked items I have not seen or recorded a hallmarked RIR with a QVC. Examples may exist, in which case I would expect them to be assayed 1897-98.

Who exactly wore the hallmarked examples, and on what item of headdress, is another discussion.

However, one thing is for certain, for some time now it has been evident that no-one should invest in unmarked silver badges without exercising extreme caution. And I do mean extreme caution.

The same goes for badges with the word "Silver" or "Sterling Silver" or "Sterling" stamped on them. There are undoubtedly many perfectly original badges so marked, but there is no assurance that the stamp has been applied legitimately. And, any purchaser of such an item is at considerable risk of loss.

Give me an assay mark any day:at least in the UK it offers a degree of protection and one can pursue redress through the Court system. And before anyone chips in and says it can't be done, it can. I've done it.

Good luck with the silver thing. Do not say you were not warned.

By the way Dean, nice DLI piece.

Enjoy

S.T.

(Lights blue touch paper and sits back waiting for the predictable response.)

[2747andy]

Dean,
sorry to come in late on this one but I've been out most of today! Sorry but I agree will all that has been posted above! I would also add to what has already been highlighted, that the quality is just not what you would expect even from a period casting! There are not two strings the same width, there are exaggerated areas of wear to the front when the rear is pristine and sadly one to bring back with you on your next visit! I hope it was bought from someone who honours returns!

Andy

[Roy]

Hi Chaps,

Not what anyone would want to hear about a new addition.

I have noticed that there is a 'lot' of cast silver (not hallmarked) badges on eBay, mostly from the same seller. These are all being sold at what I would expect to be a low price 'if' they were indeed genuine. Seems like the marked it flooded with these 'silver' marked badges right now.

Very sad indeed.

Roy.

[John Mulcahy]

[QUOTE=Silver Tourist;263397]

In over 35 years of collecting hallmarked items I have not seen or recorded a hallmarked RIR with a QVC. Examples may exist, in which case I would expect them to be assayed 1897-98.

1897-98 seems about right to me as the O/R version of the badge was sealed in 1896.

John

[John Mulcahy]

Originally Posted by Roy

Hi Chaps,

Not what anyone would want to hear about a new addition.

I have noticed that there is a 'lot' of cast silver (not hallmarked) badges on eBay, mostly from the same seller. These are all being sold at what I would expect to be a low price 'if' they were indeed genuine. Seems like the marked it flooded with these 'silver' marked badges right now.

Very sad indeed.

Roy.

Yes indeed The Royal Munster Fusiliers and Royal Dublin Fusiliers did not wear silver forage cap badges.

The main individual selling them is this one...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WW1-THE-ROYA...item5661fb0615

John

[wright241]

Originally Posted by John Mulcahy

Yes indeed The Royal Munster Fusiliers and Royal Dublin Fusiliers did not wear silver forage cap badges.

The main individual selling them is this one...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WW1-THE-ROYA...item5661fb0615

John

Not that anyone (including ebay, I have tried...) will do anything about it, but isn't his description "WW1 THE ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS BADGE OFFICERS SILVER" fraudulent?? i.e. doesn't it break the "trade description law/act" - or has that now gone west and been replaced with 'profit is king'?
Should it not be "resembles a WW1 THE ROYAL DUBLIN FUSILIERS BADGE OFFICERS and marked 'SILVER'"..?
David

[mooke07]

Thanks all for feedback on this badge,

I accept the flaws in the finish and the badge will be returned. It was a private swap and was not a deceptive act or eBay purchase etc. My inexperience is the key. I also had not appreciated the fact that the Irish regiments do not have volunteer battalions or volunteer rifle predecessors.

The benefits of belonging to an active Forum.

Can hardly wait to post more LOL !

Cheers Dean.

[2747andy]

Originally Posted by Silver Tourist

Good afternoon.

And Mr Brydon's response perfectly illustrates the value of buying and reading books.

S.T.

(Lights blue touch paper and sits back waiting for the predictable response.)

This is not a slur on anyone's religious beliefs and not intended to offend in anyway and the illustrations intended to be light hearted. However I would not get too excited over how big your library is, just the quality and accuracy of what it contains, after all a book is only as good as what is printed in it and some far better than others. But no matter how good, they often contain errors! Electronic references however can be updated and amended as required! Some would argue that the publications shown below all contain errors and differences of opinion, each to their own!

[Peter Brydon]

Yes but I think that S.T. was referring to books on military history and not specifically on books on badges.

P.B.

[John Mulcahy]

Originally Posted by mooke07

Thanks all for feedback on this badge,

I also had not appreciated the fact that the Irish regiments do not have volunteer battalions or volunteer rifle predecessors.


Cheers Dean.

Dean,

it is true that the volunteer movement did not extend to Ireland, however officers of the Royal Irish Regiment (18th) did wear a silver FSC (used in the Forage Cap and FSH from c. 1902) badge from c. 1896 (where as the O/R version was GM), likewise officers of The Connaught Rangers took a silver FSC badge into use in 1895 (again used in the Forage Cap and FSH from c. 1902) while the O/R version was GM.

Thus in these instances silver is correct.

John

[KLR]

Books and articles that emanate from my world are very carefully edited and go through a rigorous peer review.