Fake Anodised Wiltshire Badge - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Alan O · #1 11-03-08, 07:39 PM

I finally managed to find a decent Wilts a/a badge. I have attached Hagwalther's picture of his dodgy anodised for comparison. The scroll is the same colour as the rest of the badge but has reflected darker in the light. Mine has the Gaunt London mark and is solid backed unlike Hagwalther's die struck thin fake with a Firmin added slider. He bought he lot from a UK dealer so beware.

Alan

hagwalther · #2 12-03-08, 04:19 AM

Hi Alan,

Your badge is good - no worries there - attached is my badge to compare.

Note that the fake one from my photo (and all the others too) is of a hollow back design as per early WWII German combat badges. Staybrites are usually solid although while some (for example) large Scottish ones are often found as hollow back items the smaller staybrite badges are not.

The fake badges are made from a thin tin sheet and are not anodised aluminium.

Have attached a hollow back Panzer Assault Badge for interest.

Regards.

Alan O · #3 12-03-08, 08:06 PM

Chris,

First of all thanks for letting me show your picture. Secondly are you still Nz's only a/a collector or have you found another one on South island? Finally have you ever seen a AEA version?

Alan

hagwalther · #4 12-03-08, 08:12 PM

Hi Alan,

Until a few years ago I though I was the only A/A collector in the world - I don't know of any others here in New Zealand or even Australia and know of only a few in the UK.

There is though an older guy who sells British Army badges and has the odd staybrite now and again but usually the more common ones.

RE: AEA version - not heard of this can you decode?

Regards

Chris

Alan O · #5 12-03-08, 08:18 PM

Sorry the old brass version had AEA on the badge and when Prince Phillip became Col in Chief (sic) in 1954 the badge changed to the PP cypher. I have both in brass. According to K&K the a/a PP cypher was not sealed until 1964 so it was only worn by the Ta bn. The GM PP version was sealed in 1956 so the regular bn could have worn these but I suspect the older soldiers held onto their AEA cyphers until the end.

Alan

PS check out http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEDW:IT&ih=020 for your records.

hagwalther · #6 12-03-08, 08:59 PM

Hi Alan,

OK, see what you mean now.

I was offered one a few years ago for a rare Scottish pipers badge that I have and was not found in any books anywhere in staybrite but passed on it.

Not heard of one since.

Regards

Chris