KOSB Badge

[Graeme R]

Picked this lovely badge up last weekend.

Graeme

[leigh kitchen]

Worn as glengary badge but also, initially, on the universal helmet.

[lnijherald]

Fantastic badge Leigh!
Is it nickeled brass? I seem to see some verdigris.
Cheers, Luc

[Keith Blakeman]

Fantastic badge Leigh!
Is it nickeled brass? I seem to see some verdigris.
Cheers, Luc

Luc,
I've never heard of nickel brass before but may answer a few questions. I picked this one up recently and I'm buggered if I can get it clean. I've tried everything (I don't go in for the patina look, I like I'm clean but done sensitively)
and it still looks like brass in places.
Keith

[lnijherald]

Luc,
I've never heard of nickel brass before but may answer a few questions.
Keith

Keith, I meant nickel plated brass. Quite a common production process. Some badges even seem to be made of pure chrome!

Personally I think only nails, teeth and babies bottoms must be kept clean. A bit of wear and dirt on badges simply shows character!
Cheers, Luc

[Graeme R]

I haven't got the badge with me just now to check what it is made off. It is supposed to be pre-WW1/Victorian Era.

I don't intend to clean it. I do like them when they show their age.

Cheers

Graeme

[Keith Blakeman]

Keith, I meant nickel plated brass. Quite a common production process. Some badges even seem to be made of pure chrome!

Personally I think only nails, teeth and babies bottoms must be kept clean. A bit of wear and dirt on badges simply shows character!
Cheers, Luc

Luc,

I have a chrome 8th Hants Isle of Wight Rifles. Not as ugly as it sounds!!

Regarding the cleaning, I certainly wouldn't take a wire brush to a badge, but if it's genuine there's nothing to hide behind the patina which I feel is too often used to sell a duffer as genuine. I know I'll get stick for being sacreligeous but i like to see what's behind the grime and have had some real suprises in the past.

Keith

[lnijherald]

Keith, have you ever tried paint stripper? I've been told it works miracles to remove grime from metal badges.
Cheers, Luc

[leigh kitchen]

Luc,
I've never heard of nickel brass before but may answer a few questions. I picked this one up recently and I'm buggered if I can get it clean. I've tried everything (I don't go in for the patina look, I like I'm clean but done sensitively)
and it still looks like brass in places.
Keith

This badge was produced in yellow metal prior to the white metal version I believe, when they were worn as helmet insignia. I'll check the details.
I don't clean these things partly because in doing so you remove indications of whether the badge is genuine or fake, it's like destroying evidence.
I suppose I can understand a quick wipe over to remove acids from fingers, & a matchstick & brasso / vinegar attack on verdigris, but I don't really bother with that either.

[Keith Blakeman]

This badge was produced in yellow metal prior to the white metal version I believe, when they were worn as helmet insignia. I'll check the details.
I don't clean these things partly because in doing so you remove indications of whether the badge is genuine or fake, it's like destroying evidence.
I suppose I can understand a quick wipe over to remove acids from fingers, & a matchstick & brasso / vinegar attack on verdigris, but I don't really bother with that either.

Thanks for identifying it for me Leigh, I wasn't aware of anything other than nickel being used for Scottish badges (discounting those in bimetal, silver, etc). I should have pointed out that it has two E/W loops not screw threads if it makes any difference. Helmet badges are not really my thing, I just like the rounded bottom KOSB.

Most of the time identifying features determine whether a badge is fake or real and I can't see how removal of crud can devalue a badge. It's a personal thing as far as I'm concerned and from a sceptical point of view I think many would rather leave them dirty rather than face the fact that they possess a restrike!

Keith

[leigh kitchen]

A round HPC was worn the universal star plate 1881-84.
A slightly different form of the badge you show was worn in gilding metal 1884-87, the lion had no crown & it had a small cross on the lower part of the scroll instead of the word "OWN".
I can only find reference thus afar to the badge you show as being in white metal, not yellow metal, so perhaps I'm wrong about that exact design being worn as a helmet badge in yellow metal.
The scrolls vary at the bottom, some rounded, some dimpled upwards.
There's always the possibility of an old die being used for WWI economy brass.
From the photo, the badge has a colour & toning that I would be wary of, if it's a yellow metal badge, it reminds me of the appearance of some fakes, but what the heck, I'm lousy with photos.
White metal badges can end up looking a positive brass colour if stuck up on the wall of a pub or similar & subjected to years of cigarette smoke.
I find that other than in the case of one type of fake aging then uncleaned badges are easier for me to decide good or bad, unless cleaning will expose definite give aways such as the wrong coloured brazing etc.