Economy Middlesex a pattern variation

[Fatherofthree]

Good evening.

Recently purchased, (thanks Paul Laycock) at Farnham, the Middlesex Economy on the right.

DSC00195.jpg

I bought it because I am convinced that it was struck from the die used for the Middlesex Pioneer pattern.

I have shown it beside another economy for comparison.

The main points that indicate the same die are:-

The more horizontal scroll ends.
The shape of the void below Albuhera.
The voided area immediately below and surrounding the laurel branches below Albuhera.
The area immediately below the coronet supporting the feathers.

There are other points as well.

2 Pioneer pattern badges shown below. (David Moore and TRT hope you don't mind me using these for reference and comparison purposes only. Thank you).

2008_0428Collection0001[1].jpg DSCN1078[1].jpg

I have seen many Middlesex Economy badges over the years, but this is the only one I have seen displaying these points and similarities.

What do you think?
Am I completely bonkers?

Regards
Brian

[Keith Blakeman]

The feathers themselves are also very distinctive. It certainly looks like the PW version.

However, while chatting to someone at Bromley the other week I showed him my one. He has/had one which came with a medal set with absolute provenance and had sweatholes. Mine doesn't as do most of the others ones seen which are very poorly defined on the back. What I was also told was that Gamages pushed these badges out soon after WW1 along with the Frontiersmen, (often referred to as the garage made badge, surely a corruption of Gamages). Maybe after all these are not genuine badges despite being sold as such even by respected auction houses.

[Fatherofthree]

Hi Keith.

It's interesting what you've added in relation to Gamages.

I believe that the 3 badges shown in a recent thread on here are the real deal, that yours is a good 'un and I expect the one in The National Army Museum is also, as well as the few that are seen every now and then.

If they are correct, then what were the Gamages versions like and why isn't the market awash with the Gamages version, which I suspect would have been very close to, if not an exact copy of, the original.

I'm still thinking.

Regards
Brian

[Keith Blakeman]

I must have a look at the NAM one to see if the feathers, scrolls are the same. I do remember it's a Gaunt one, says so on the display card so could be a commissioned piece. I can't believe that one of the bigger makers wouldn't just attach the bottom scroll to a regulars badge, pretty much like the repros.

[Keith Blakeman]

Originally Posted by Fatherofthree

Hi Keith.

It's interesting what you've added in relation to Gamages.

If they are correct, then what were the Gamages versions like and why isn't the market awash with the Gamages version, which I suspect would have been very close to, if not an exact copy of, the original.

I'm still thinking.

Regards
Brian

Maybe they are Brian and are the ones with the poorly defined back stamping. Mine was absolutely black and had been brooched when I got it but could still be a Gamages copy, only a few years younger than the genuine ones.

[David Moore]

Hi Brian,

I have compared my PWPB badge with your economy strike and it matches in all details, including the horizontal bar on the G. My personal theory is that some economy strikes were made using the original bi-metal dies. Is there a bi-metal version of the more common form of Middlesex economy strike ?

My theory comes from looking at bages in my collection where scrolls are lifting; generally the detail underneath is as good as that on the added scroll. If I were to take the additional scroll off I would be left with a single metal badge (apart from sweat holes).

Best wishes David Moore.

[Keith Blakeman]

Originally Posted by David Moore

Hi Brian,

I have compared my PWPB badge with your economy strike and it matches in all details, including the horizontal bar on the G. My personal theory is that some economy strikes were made using the original bi-metal dies. Is there a bi-metal version of the more common form of Middlesex economy strike ?

My theory comes from looking at bages in my collection where scrolls are lifting; generally the detail underneath is as good as that on the added scroll. If I were to take the additional scroll off I would be left with a single metal badge (apart from sweat holes).

Best wishes David Moore.

To add to the confusion, in this earlier post we have two badges, both puchased (by Gaz Rockape & TRT the latter also shown in the first post above, front only) from Bosleys over a period of time which are in effect the 'economy' die (as posted by Brian above) with overlays and added scroll, mine is also like this and as mentioned earlier it had been brooched. (Note the poor rear detail).

Now here's another example from Bosleys, Buywyze this time, with the same features such as the scroll tips, void, G, etc but this time the lower Middlesex scroll is an overlay!

http://www.buywyze.com/shop/viewphoto.php?x=1

All three Public Works Battalions were raised before economy badges came into being so maybe we have the same manufacturer producing both types of badge with the PW being the earlier ones.

There do seem to be an incredible number of different shank styles though which is unusual with no two being the same.

The Gaunt one in the NAM may hold the key, if the details are the same as these then they were a definate maker and I'd be very suprised if they strayed away from their usual sweathole construction methods.

[2747andy]

I have quite a large collection of variations to the 26 WW1 1916 All Gilding Metal (Economy Issue) Infantry Cap Badges. The whole reason for their introduction was to speed up production time and thus alleviate the need for more than one die, i.e. single piece striking, therefore the overlaid pattern dies would not be suitable regardless of whether or not sweat holes were used during the construction process. The badges were not all made by the same manufacturers and in some cases there are several pattern variations to the same Regiment. I think that there is a strong chance that the PW Bn pattern (template or guide) could have been used although a new die would most probably have been made from any such pattern. I've a few variations to the Middlesex which I'll add to this thread when I manage to photograph them..

On the subject of sweat holes, never disregard a badge for the absence of such vents, e.g. Lambourne hardly ever used them, even on overlaid parts.

Andy

[Luke H]

Here are my pair of 1916 GM’s from the PWPB die. Big thanks to David Smith for the stunner on the right.

I am in no doubt they are contemporary were worn in WW1, especially this first badge which has been nicely shaped to fit a cap and has clearly been well polished. Neither strike me as being unfinished and I cannot see why Gamages would reproduce what is for all intents and purposes a standard GM Middlesex badge. Add to that if they were from the 1920s I can’t imagine why someone would then shape it to fit a cap and spend so long polishing it.

Interestingly the 3 all GM badges shown in this thread all have a level of uniformity in relation to their sliders - rather broad with an irregular and angular tip. Slider uniformity is something the PWPB badges distinctly lacks, some being very long and tapering whilst others resemble the badges shown here.