Small British cap badge collection

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Sarge, if you want any of your badges ID'ed I would be pleased to have ago?

Hi Dirk, your badge looks OK to me. I used to own one, but I sold it 20 years ago to help finance more German items. Current value is around £30 or about $50.
Cheers, Ade.

[Ian Hulley]

Ian-Per your request. I have no idea if it is real. Just paid a few pounds years ago. Dirk

Dirk,this may sound strange but I prefer the back to the front...I always thought these were brass finish as per the RAF ones and I wonder if it's been re-finished,perhaps officers wore silver finish and EM brass.The lugs look OK but the best way to tell repros is to feel the thickness and stiffness,if original the RFC goes for around £30 - £40 (a fortune for a British badge)...Ade will probably know better than me as I haven't bought one for years.
Ian.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Ian, I think you were writing the same time as me Officers wore Bronze cap and collar badges, same as the rest of the Army in WW1 .
A mate of mine had a small hoard of these, Officers bronze, all mint unissued. He slowly sold them all over the years and now has just one set left.
Cheers, Ade.

[Ian Hulley]

Hi Ade,yes you beat me on the draw..moderators priviledge..and I lowered my price slightly.
Another topic I guess but do you know anything about Southern Rhodesian Airforce uniform values etc..I have my uncle's No.2 tunic and peaked cap,he was stranded in Bulaweyo (sp?) at the start of the war and signed up in order to get home to Derby,he ended up as Pilot Officer flying Lancasters.He was reported by the local police for flying low over Calver (Hope Valley) and waggling his wings at his girlfriend (my auntie) it must have been very low 'cos they could read his ID number ! Eventually he was shot down having bombed Duisburg in '42,5 of the crew bailed out and were accounted for (P.O.W.) but Bill,co-pilot and plane dissapeared,they were found 20-odd years later when the Dutch were excavating a dyke and found the Lanc. complete with Bill & mate.
I asked around for ages but answers went along the line of "who made them wings sonny,your mother " It has S.Rhodesian wings and cloth shoulder flashes and the gold and purple embroidered cap crown is different too I think.

Any help would be appreciated,

Ian.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi ian, this is a tough one to price. A guess would be a min of £200? The best place to get a price would be at Whitiwick Aviation fair (which I mentioned in my PM to you) as there are just dealers there who deal in nothing but "RAF" uniform.
Cheers, Ade.

[Jim Maclean]

I think your valuations of the RFC cap badge are a bit over the top, I'd say £12 -15 tops. If it were an officers bronze type I think you might be closer to the mark but still on the expensive side.

For some reason genuine RFC cap badges are still remarkably easy to find, makes me wonder why the fakers go to the trouble.

Jim

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Jim, to be honest I too was thinking along the lines of £15, but being a bit out of touch with prices on these, I did a quick search before replying to the thread and came up with this:

http://www.treasurebunker.com/acatal...Badges_22.html

I have seen some of this dealers other items and most appear a bit dear. But there you go.

I too often wonder why the fakers make common badges?
Cheers, Ade.

[Jim Maclean]

Hi Ade,
They've got nice stuff, but here's a cheaper site and he gives a guarantee http://freespace.virgin.net/lew.shotton/corps.htm item 977 which is K&K's ref.. £8 for GM, £25 for bronze.

Just goes to show that it pays to shop around.

Jim

[Dirk]

Thanks

Ade/Ian- Thanks for your words on the RFC. It is brass but the scanner made it look silver. Jim is correct I bought mine in the late 80's for a few pounds but was amazed that I would see them at shows throughout the UK. Early US flying stuff is so hard to find. Again thank you for sharing your collections and expertise. Dirk

[leigh kitchen]

Well, here's what I have. Not even sure what some of 'em are.

Is that Essex Regiment badge the version without a little flag on top of the central tower? It looks like it, & if so (& genuine) would be pre c1902, as the Essex were one of the 4 "Gibralter Reiments" that had to change the design of the castles in their badges to conform with the pattern on the Great Seal of Gibralter. In the case of the Essex, this really meant just shortening the central tower & sticking a flag on top. Some other easily identifiable badges there, some more which need a little bit of info provided (such as inscription on scroll) as the design was used by more than one unit) perhaps best done by PM if you want more info, rather than resurrect an old thread & give it the old kiss of life?

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Leigh, glad you had resurrected this old thread, as the first pic had dissappeared for some unknown reason? I have replaced it now.


Cheers, Ade.

[leigh kitchen]

The 17th/21st Lancers ....... These were worn from 1922 onwards. When metal cap badges were discontinued in the 1950's to be replaced by the awful "Staybrite" anodised aluminium plastic looking things, many Regt's had produced at Regimental expense metal replacement badges. I know 17th/21st did this, so these can be hard to date.
Cheers, Ade.

In the late '70s the 17th/21st wore a chromed metal motto. As explained to me by a Sgt in the regiment they were issued a silver anodised motto, & then sent to the NAAFI with instructions to buy the chromed version (I think the price at the time was 25p). I have no idea why chromed is superior in appearance to anodised, but I suppose it was more hard wearing. I have the chromed version that he gave me.

[leigh kitchen]

....... the first pic had dissappeared for some unknown reason? I have replaced it now.Cheers, Ade.

Hi, some "variations" in your first photo, such as the unvoided WWI pattern ASC & RE "economy" badges, & is that an all brass economy Duke of Boots - I think that I still need one of those........

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Leigh, just a quick answer. The "Duke of Wellingtons" is a cast job: maybe field done???? I will take some pics when I return from Germany.


Cheers, Ade.

[leigh kitchen]

Is that Essex Regiment badge the version without a little flag on top of the central tower? It looks like it, & if so (& genuine) would be pre c1902, as the Essex were one of the 4 "Gibralter Reiments" that had to change the design of the castles in their badges to conform with the pattern on the Great Seal of Gibralter. In the case of the Essex, this really meant just shortening the central tower & sticking a flag on top.

Somebody f#@$%*g punch me. Sorry, I should've said that the Essex is the post c1902 version, as it has no flag on the tower (thus falling in with the diktat on standardised gibralter castles). An entirely alcohol induced mistake I'm afraid.