Solid silver collar badges.

[hindoostan]

Hi all,
In amongst some recent cheap purchases I have discovered a few solid silver officers collar badges. My question is are these standard issue or are that a private vanity type purchase by the individual officer?

[cbuehler]

There were no standard issue officer badges. All were private purchase and varied considerably in details and materials used.
Those could be all silver or silver plate. Nice badges.

CB

[KLR]

Officer's badges were issue from 1949

[Exmilcop]

I had a one-of Canadian Intelligence Corps collar dog made by Birks in sterling silver. I had the thing for years and haunted all the shows trying to find a mate for it. I finally sold it to a collector who postulated that it may have been a privately commissioned piece as a sweetheart pin. It had a pin back, not the 2 tabs that accepted the split pin retention piece.

[grey_green_acorn]

Originally Posted by KLR

Officer's badges were issue from 1949

Julian,
I was interested by your comment that 'Officer's badges were issue from 1949'.

I do not believe that is correct and to quote from Chris Marsh's new book 'New Metal'.

..."it was not until the mid 1980s that officers' badges and buttons were authorised for issue from 'within the system'. This is noted in the 257th meeting of the Army Dress Committee held on 23 January 1984, when decision 3260 approved the free issue of newly commissioned officers' badges and buttons and at the same time reduced each officer's Initial Outfit Allowance. This came into effect on 1 April 1986".

Tim