ARP Badges, a sudden abundance

[Arnhemjim]

Is it just me, or is there a sudden abundance of British ARP silver hallmarked badges appearing on both e-bay and other auction sites?
Arnhemjim

[Jibba Jabba]

Silver price is at a high chap. There is no doubt a lot of silver is being weighed in for scrap in the UK.....and anything that looks interesting and more valuable than its scrap value never reaches the melting pot

[Keith Blakeman]

Originally Posted by Jibba Jabba

Silver price is at a high chap. There is no doubt a lot of silver is being weighed in for scrap in the UK.....and anything that looks interesting and more valuable than its scrap value never reaches the melting pot

I think there have always been loads around, a shop up the road from me had half a dozen a short while ago.

[ASR142]

ARP BADGES :
There are 5 diffrent hallmark dates for the ARP badges these are A B C D and the rare E these all come in 2 diffrent types pin backed for ladies and half moon button hole fixing for the men these originaly had boxes red for men and blue for ladies then you get the press metal examples again both types with a 3rd type being a sow on example these where originaly designed to go on civilian cloths and worn in conjuction with arm bands and later in the war where worn in berets as well. The silver examples also come in a small version in both types with enamle as well there are a few examples of the larger type being enamled how ever I do know that a couple of dealers had some of these made a few years back so I dont trust the larger enamled examples as they used real ARP silver halmarked badges to do this. In all about 30 diffrent examples could be found .
steve

[paj1]

Ive found most places that sell any type of antiques wiil usualy have a couple
of silver ARP badges tucked away in their display cabinet . but the prices can
range from a couple of pounds up to ten pounds plus . i wounder how many
were made ?
cheers paj1

[Mike]

There were some large lots of ARP Badges sold on ebay not that long ago 50's - 100s? like some supply from old stock had been uncovered.

Being an ebay Sherlock Holmes myself I believe a supply of mint Plastic Pioneer Corps and Catering Corps (and a few others) also have come out of storage somewhere and are being dribbled onto ebay. Coincidence the period is the same as ARP? - has the MoD found a load of this stuff and auctioned it off recently?

I recall a while back sending a few emails to various people regarding surplus obsolete MoD insignia - stonewalled by them all. I think disposal is pretty much stitched up with a few blue-eyed boys?