RMLI Boxer Campaign Collar Insignia???

[Sapper00]

I picked up a lot of badges and found these oddities.

Full disclosure, I plan on selling them but can't find any info on them.
Real, fake, fantasy? The only place I've seen them is on Rusty's site in Australia as RM China Campaign collars

Thoughts?

[Tinto]

Hi Sapper,
These are collar badges for The Border Regiment from 1885-1895.
Chinese dragon for the China War 1840-1842.
Cheers,
John

[Sapper00]

Thank you John.
Apparently I was looking in entirely the wrong direction. I found some examples on the net to compare them. The left facing collar looks to be original but the right facing (without the "CHINA") looks to be either a repro or locally manufactured.

Del

[Luke H]

I’ve seen them in white metal without the honour as 1st V.B. . It appears to have brass loops as per early badges, certainly British made I would say.

[Sapper00]

I don't have a lot of knowledge on the organization of the Border Regt's Battalions or which ones were associated with who(m), so figuring out these collars is a bit confusing. What vintage or era would these collars be? I have seen some listings for the white metal ones being described as WWI (Lonsdale BN) and some brass VM ones being noted to the 55th Foot. All of them seem to be going (or have sold) for a price waaaay higher than I thought they were worth.
Were these collars worn by different BNs of the Borders at different time periods?

Del

[Luke H]

Essentially they were volunteer part-time soldiers.

Under the Childers Reforms of 1881 the old RVC’s became aligned to country regiments as Volunteer Battalions. V.B.’s existed until 1908 upon the formation of the Territorial Force.

I would need to check Churchill but the date quoted above by Tinto looks right.

The Lonsdale Battalion of WW1 had no unique collar badge design, indeed I do not recall ever seeing a picture of an ORs Lonsdale wearing collars. Officers wore the standard Border Regiment OSD collar which was the same design as the cap badge.