unvoided A on SLI badge & Gaunt.London mark

[Badger]

Greeting all

Picture of a Somerset light infantry badge.

I have been reliably informed that the unvoided top part of the letter “A” means this is a restrike

Can anyone confirm or deny this.

[Malcolm Davey]

Hello Badger
Yes this is correct, the other thing about you badge is the gaunt maker mark, this particular mark is regarded as fake, small font with a . after gaunt and before London.
Cheers
Malc

[Mike]

Hi Malc
is the information on makers marks published in any book anywhere?
There being a few different Gaunt marks these could be used as a dating tool?
Not to mention the other makers.

[Keith Blakeman]

Here's my take on GAUNT sliders. The one on the SLI is the one to avoid. As Malc says the . is the giveaway and it's found mainly on the 1970's restrikes. Whether GAUNT produced these badges or just had sliders with their name attached is open to debate but Kipling & King in Volume 2 do mention a major company re-striking badges but without naming them. Maybe they had this font deliberately made to differentiate between the old and new. Who knows?

There is another similar brand in smaller font without the . and this is generally deemed to be safe (see my Robin Hoods badge on another thread). Dating is harder though, some will argue this brand is WW2 and later but I have it on a pre-1920 5th Londons (as attached). However, in the case of this badge it may be an NCO's pattern as there are a lot more voids than normal. While on the subject of this brand there is a FIRMIN LONDON one in identical style and it also appears on WW2 badges (securely dated to the new cavalry regiments of this war). My guess is that the sliders were produced by a third party for both companies.

As for the later GAUNT LONDON or GAUNT B'HAM this is a real minefield. I know dealers who say they're OK and others who wouldn't touch them with a bargepole. I suppose if the badges are still being worn such as on some of the Yeomanry ones they appear on they may be thought of as acceptable but I'd always look for one with a very deep striking and even then I'd look to replace it at the earliest opportunity as that not quite sure feeling is always there.

It's an endless debate which has appeared plenty of times on other forums and still no-one has the definitive answer.

[Alan O]

Foir my money I would date the GAUNT LONDON in large font from 1947 up to the 1960s. I have it on lots of early genuine 1950s K/C badges and early Q/C badges both brass and a/a. This mark has been occasionally faked (I have a QOYY I am not happy with) but the copies' stamp tend to be shallower.

Gaunt BHam is found on a/a badges dating from late 1950s onwards. The earliest a/a badge I have it on is the 23 london (1958-61) but there is no guarantee that Gaunt did not reproduce these badges in the 1970s. Have a/a badges been reproduced? I have seen the occasionally really poor a/a fake but these were really poor quality.

Personally I have a number of metal Yeomanry badges in 1960s patterns with Gaunt Bham sliders in my collection but whether these were contempory or 1970s Gaunt restrikes using the original dies I just do not know. I do have a WW1 Guards MG Bn badge and a Q/C Glider Pilot regt both of which which have the Gaunt Bham mark and they are a definate repro.

Alan

[KLR]

Well one day I intend to spend some time with the Gaunt archives, I need to look up the regt I am studying but I'll see if there is anything regarding slider lettering too. I'll keep you posted when I get around to it !
Incidentally, the height of the lettering on sliders appears to be either 1mm (actually usually 0.9mm) or 2mm.

In the meantime - just to create further confusion - I have a King's 1926-50 badge(of a kind I think prevalent in 2nd WW), very well made, two braze holes, slightly curved etc which does have
J.R.GAUNT.LONDON
which I'm convinced is genuine. There are also Gaunt badges without any full stops, ie JRGAUNTLONDON

Incidentally, does anyone have any idea of the SHAPE of braze holes; I don't know if it is chance but my Gaunt ones are circular and my Firmin ones are rectangular !?
Julian