Suffolk Officers Silver Cap Badge.

[thursdaychris]

Hello Chaps,
I need a silver/silverplate, Suffolk officers cap badge, and I'm not having a lot of joy, rocking horse poop, does spring to mind! However, there are two possibilities, and I'd like to know what you fine fellows think about these.

The seller can't find badge #1, at the moment, but he tells me that it is a cast piece, and nowhere near as nice as the previous two of these badges, that he has sold me, I can only show the front of this badge.

Badge #2, I can post a few images of this one, it is a bit dearer, probably, a little bit better, but it has been on eBay for over two years, the seller, obviously, has no intention of dropping his price (£60)

What do you guys think? I don't want to wait for ages for a better one to come along, and I want to fill an annoying gap in my display.

[Luke H]

First badge looks horrendous, clearly poorly cast from another badge.

Even the second doesn’t look the finest.

Some badges do take years to find in this hobby and there’s no way around it.

The saying of ‘you buy cheap, you buy twice’ is also apt. I don’t mean cheap in monetary outlay but if you buy something that is a poor example or poor quality often you ultimately end up replacing it with another due to not being entirely happy with the first.

So you end up with two having spent twice the money and often shifting the ugly duckling badge in my experience is difficult.

That the seller has had that badge 2 years tells you all you need to know... good militaria and badges sell quickly.

I would pass on both personally.

[Sonofacqms]

I agree entirely with Luke, both look "tired" and two years is a lot of views by collectors on ebay without a sale.

Badges are like buses, I wanted an all white metal Cambridgeshire for over forty years, I bought one and then another a few months later.

Rob

[thursdaychris]

Hello Chaps,

Many thanks for your thoughts on these badges, we are, perhaps, agreed that badge #2, is the better of the two. Anyhow, I offered the seller of that badge, £40 for it, he came back with £45, which I have gone for. The seller of badge #1 wants £40 for it, I also "briefly" considered the badge that I've attached a pic of, that was also £40. So, for a space filler, I think that I've gone for the best option! I can always throw it away, if a better one ever comes along.

Funnily enough, what has actually grieved me a little bit, is that my £6 post free, Suffolk QC, seems to have gone missing in the post. it's just another space filler, but now, instead, I've had to pay a dealer, £12 plus post, for a replacement, that seems absolutely identical in every respect. Anyhow, I should perhaps explain that all this urgency has come about due to the delivery, today, of a pack of A1 foamboard x 10. I just can't bear the thought of any gaps in my Suffolk display, after all these months!

[magpie]

Badge 2 just needs ank scratched on it, not worth the finished word I'm afraid never mind the asking price.

[manchesters]

Whats the point in asking for advice, if when you get it, you totally ignore it???

regards

[Luke H]

The silver badge in post #4 is a fake.

The nouveau black background photo looks like it’s our new mate int.militaria... be careful he will threaten copyright infringement. All his badges are repro, read the small print.

[thursdaychris]

First of all, I should perhaps say that I have not sought advice and then chosen to ignore it !!! My Suffolk collection is complete, apart from two gaps that I need to fill. I sought "opinions" on the only silver Suffolk cap badges that are available online in the UK, and as far as I can tell, worldwide.

My Suffolk collection consists of eleven groups of four badges, it was intended to be twelve groups, but of the four Suffolk pagri badges that I had, three got the thumbs down from forum members, so I discarded all four of them, plus a 12th of Foot glengarry badge that had also got the thumbs down.

I am well aware that badge #3 is a fake, I added that one just to illustrate, what is actually available for £40ish. The important thing is, that no one has suggested that badge #2 is not actually genuine, tired looking, certainly, and clearly not the best example in the world, but just for now, it'll do for me!

[thursdaychris]

Well, I'm pleased to say that gap #2 is now filled, as well, the postman has just brought me the Suffolk QC, that I needed. I didn't mention the spares that can be seen at the bottom of the last picture. You'll see a pair of Suffolk TF badges, these are on loops, and there doesn't seem to be the slightest chance of ever getting 4 of those. There is also a Suffolk TF, OSD, bronze cap badge on blades, ever even having a pair of those, seems far more unlikely!

Time may get mentioned again, but there is no need, my Suffolk collecting has now come to an end. I will persevere with the RA Gunbadges, I could end up with a much larger collection of those, I only have 62, at the moment, but there are lots of them around.

[magpie]

see post 5

[thursdaychris]

Hi All

I'm pleased to report that my Suffolk Officers Silver Cap Badge has just arrived, and the final space has been filled in my Suffolk collection. The sellers online handle didn't register with me, but when I saw his name, I did remember him, his name is John Sprott and he lives in the Maidstone area, down in Kent. I got an LSH item from him, a while back, and I was very pleased with it, as, funnily enough, I am, also, with the Suffolk badge that he has just sent me! What do you think?

[magpie]

It's a cast copy, junk

[thursdaychris]

Well Chaps,

After posting a few better pictures of this badge, I see that I now have another verdict from one of the forum experts. I am actually quite pleased with it, myself, but, of course, I have only been collecting stuff for the last 65 years or so, so what do I know.

If it is a junk casting, as has been stated, even a complete collecting novice, like myself, could surely be forgiven for thinking that it is, at least, a bit better than badge #1. anyone else have anything to add?

[Luke H]

I do not collect officers badges so am not best placed to offer a truly informed opinion here. I can and do offer objective verdicts when officers badges are from known fake dies I recognise (e.g. post #7) or are obviously very new cast copies. As so often with such aged sand/lost wax cast badges the old ‘honest Guv it’s a theatre made replacement’ creeps in, which - mounts hobby horse - is another reason I personally avoid them.

However, I would say it looks significantly worse and rougher than the original pics posted suggested. I would also agree it’s cast from an officers badge akin to the first example shown.

If it’s genuine or not, as I said originally I’d pass on it.

So often with officers badges buying quality pieces removes doubt, if I was seeking an example I’d look for one like this but the caveat you cannot expect to buy one within 6 months of starting a collection.

P.S. when you say another verdict I cannot see where anyone has given a positive opinion re any of the badges you’ve posted here. Also I’m not, nor do I claim to be, an expert.

Based on your pictures I would not be at all happy with it and seek a refund.

[thursdaychris]

Many thanks, Luke, it's just a space filler and will probably look better in the gap than a Skegness Butlins badge. There isn't any positive verdict, only that it's just a junk casting, exactly the same as you are saying.