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  #46  
Old 21-11-20, 09:49 AM
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Exclamation RBL Centenary Award

Quote:
Originally Posted by mike_vee View Post
Have now got four of these badges , any idea when they first came out and are there any others that I've missed ?
Next year is the Centenary of the RBL and a new award will be given out .

Members can be nominated in 5 different catagories :
1. Collaboration.
2. Excellence.
3. Passion.
4. Service.
5. Valuing Our People.

Members can be nominated by each county who can put forward one in each catagory.

These will then go forward to the Area's and the winners will be in the National competition.

The Cups and Shields working group will then choose the winners in each catagory and there will then be a public vote for The Legion Centenary Award Winner.

The County Award Winners will each receive the badge shown below (these will not be available for sale) and the overall winner of the award will get a Gold Membership Badge.


At first glance I thought the Centenary Badge was going to be extemely rare , only five being awarded , but as each county (610) can nominate five members there could possibly be 3050 issued.It will still be a 'limited' edition badge and years from now collectors (like me) will be desperately seeking them out .
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Youth.jpg (28.7 KB, 11 views)
File Type: jpg Associate.jpg (34.5 KB, 8 views)
File Type: jpg Life Member.jpg (35.3 KB, 10 views)
File Type: jpg For Merit.jpg (33.2 KB, 9 views)
File Type: jpg Cent Award.jpg (37.7 KB, 17 views)
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Poppy and British Legion Wanted

Last edited by mike_vee; 21-11-20 at 10:26 AM.
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  #47  
Old 08-12-20, 01:39 PM
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Exclamation Update

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Originally Posted by Shiny View Post
Hi All,

I got this British Legion badge yesterday and was wondering if anyone had come across one before.

It is the older style badge but has a pin fitting rather than the usual horseshoe you would expect.

Michael
After a bit of research I have some information.

The badge in post#1 is a smaller (20mm) post WW2 Gaunt version , so it can be dated between 1945 and 1972.

Gaunt had the initial contract to produce British Legion badges and I have an example of the early (1922-1928) larger version (26mm) with a horizontal pin fitting , so it is possible that this style was an option from the very start.

In 1928 Gaunt lost the contract and the Birmingham Medal Company took over , they also produced a larger version (26mm) with a vertical pin fitting.

In 1945 Gaunt got the contract back when the size of the badge was reduced to 20mm and they (and their subcontractors) produced badges with both horizontal and vertical pin fittings.


.
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  #48  
Old 09-12-20, 09:26 AM
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Originally Posted by mike_vee View Post
Another addition , silver coloured small Gaunt badge.
Hi Mike

This badge has a chromed finish I think. Also, see the lettering/ borders are a little "fuzzy"? This is either excessive heat applied when enameling or spending too long in the plating tank!
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  #49  
Old 09-12-20, 09:32 AM
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I must be going through a 'silver' period , first I get the 'silver' BL badge , then the 'silver' 1915 OWS badge and today a 'silver' BLWS badge !
Hi Mike

Nice badge. See that the blue enamel has darker patches in places? I'm afraid that this is the same "spotty Herbert" overheating the badge and burning the nice transparent "royal blue"....
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  #50  
Old 09-12-20, 10:32 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dumdum View Post
Hi Mike

This badge has a chromed finish I think. Also, see the lettering/ borders are a little "fuzzy"? This is either excessive heat applied when enameling or spending too long in the plating tank!
Quote:
Originally Posted by dumdum View Post
Hi Mike

Nice badge. See that the blue enamel has darker patches in places? I'm afraid that this is the same "spotty Herbert" overheating the badge and burning the nice transparent "royal blue"....
I think that sometimes my 'photographic skills' are to blame , the small 'chromed' Gaunt badge looks OK to the naked eye and has a nice clear stamped member number .
The RBLWS badge appears to be a basic , modern (cheaper manufacturing costs) one , as fewer of these were produced then standards may not have been as high.


.
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  #51  
Old 10-12-20, 01:31 AM
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Hi Mike

No, I think that you are a very skilled photographer! I've seen these marks on badges before and it's usually just the manufacturer making HUNDREDS of them and the old quality control can slip. Some colours are more prone to this "burn" and transparent red is notoriously fickle.

Please find attached a few large BL 9 carat badges. All were in their presentation cases and one is named.

Apart from "BMCo" mark, they only have "9ct GOLD" stamped on them. The only one that bears a hallmark (for 1927-28 I think) is an unnamed badge. Apologies for the really bad pic of my thumb and finger! I've only shown it to show the position of the hallmark.

As the silver badge had just "SILVER" stamped on it, maybe the expense of getting the badges assayed was too much for the maker!

Anyone like to field a figure for assaying an item like this?
Attached Images
File Type: jpg bl9ct2.jpg (45.2 KB, 6 views)
File Type: jpg bl9ct3.jpg (44.2 KB, 5 views)
File Type: jpg bl9ct4.jpg (40.4 KB, 6 views)
File Type: jpg bl9ct5.jpg (42.1 KB, 4 views)
File Type: jpg bl9ct6.jpg (24.3 KB, 9 views)
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  #52  
Old 10-12-20, 08:54 AM
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Really like the gold badges , having the original boxes (and safety chain) adds to the appeal.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dumdum View Post
As the silver badge had just "SILVER" stamped on it, maybe the expense of getting the badges assayed was too much for the maker!

Anyone like to field a figure for assaying an item like this?
From an earlier post :
"Just checked the London Assay Office site to get an idea of costs for hallmarking.

1–2 articles in a packet = £13.00 per packet.

3 articles or over in a packet = £18 per packet + £1 per article.

On top of that add VAT + return postage ( As appropriate plus £3.25 per shipment)


As most manufacturers would be sending multiple items the costs wouldn't be that great , especially for gold. But for single custom made items , especially silver , the additional costs (£13.00 + VAT + appropriate postage x2 + shipment £3.25) would add a lot to the final cost of the item."


.
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  #53  
Old 10-12-20, 09:40 AM
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Hi Mike

Glad you liked them! I've not seen many of the "big 'uns" in gold for a while now.

I wonder how that assay price would have been back in the late 20's. My guess is that with the Depression on the horizon it wasn't worth the extra cost, however low that was.

I do also find that I also have a common or garden large Honorary Member badge in a box that must have had a gold badge in it at some stage. I'll be ready when I see the next gold badge and I'll "evict" the current tenant!

As I understand it, the Member's badges were sent in a small lidded cardboard box with the number inked on the top.

There may be examples of both of these lurking around here!
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  #54  
Old 10-12-20, 10:26 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dumdum View Post
As I understand it, the Member's badges were sent in a small lidded cardboard box with the number inked on the top.
Both Gaunt and Birmingham Medal Co. used boxes for their large badges , after WW2 (when the small badge was introduced) the badges were simply attached to a card.

PS. Have a miniature BM Co. screwpost badge attached to a card (in a box but don't have the lid).

.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Boxes.jpg (26.5 KB, 13 views)
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  #55  
Old 10-12-20, 07:59 PM
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Very nice, Mike! I love it when you get these items still with their packaging (much like the odd OWS badges that still surface occasionally).

One wonders if the badges were ever worn by the recipient or if he (and she!) was just incredibly organised and always put the badge back.

The other option is a bunch of unissued badges floating around. One of our local ex-servicemen's clubs had stuff from the 1920's that had never been issued.

Through trading, I've ended up with one or two of them.
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  #56  
Old 18-12-20, 12:12 PM
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Default Honorary badge

Another 'fitting' variation , a small Honorary badge with clutch pin.
No makers mark but as I have a small standard members badge with clutch pin on a J.R Gaunt card this one is also probably Gaunt.

Don't know when clutch pin was introduced , so can only date between 1945 -1972.

.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Honorary clutch pin F.jpg (60.9 KB, 7 views)
File Type: jpg Honorary clutch pin R.jpg (56.3 KB, 6 views)
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  #57  
Old 19-12-20, 07:23 AM
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The clutch pin is one of the single worst creations ever used on badges.

They must be the product of a warped mind or a badgemaker keen to drum up sales with the replacing of lost badges.

A friend with a keen sense of humour (and victim of several losses...) calls them "the work of the Devil"!

PS Mike. I think you might be looking towards the late 1960s or early 70's for a date for their use.
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  #58  
Old 19-12-20, 07:43 AM
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Found a great quote :
Quote:
Butterfly clutches are sometimes known as dammits, especially in military circles, after the phrase one says when one belonging to an important badge or medal is lost.

Date wise , the Americans started routinely using butterfly clutch pins late WW2 and no doubt examples were seen in numerous countries , so in theory they could have been used in Britain in the late 1940's or early 1950's.

Dating Metallic Insignia: Clutch Fasteners

Will need to do a bit more research and try to date when they were used on other badges.

.
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  #59  
Old 19-12-20, 09:18 AM
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Hi Mike

Well said!

Actually, I do have a set of c. WW2 US Naval Pilot wings (with the intriguing stamp of "10k gold filled" whatever that may mean...) and those have "Dammit!" fittings.

Nice wings, rubbish way to hold them in place....
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  #60  
Old 19-12-20, 09:19 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mike_vee View Post
Found a great quote :



Date wise , the Americans started routinely using butterfly clutch pins late WW2 and no doubt examples were seen in numerous countries , so in theory they could have been used in Britain in the late 1940's or early 1950's.

Dating Metallic Insignia: Clutch Fasteners

Will need to do a bit more research and try to date when they were used on other badges.

.
Thanks for a REALLY useful link!
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