Parachuter Regt St Edwards Crown White Metal Badge Query.

[leigh kitchen]

Anybody know rough dates for this? It's QE II's reign, but the metal gives the impression of perhaps being plated, tho' not in silver, & the lugs are of the same colour. Not the usual colour & finish that I associate with whiite metal badges. The reverse has the word FIRMIN at the top of the right wing as viewed from the rear, in really minute raised lettering. Is this something post circa mid-90's? I have enough trouble trying to decide on authenticity of most QE II metal badges, I'm no where near up to speed on the various styles of manufacture that came in around about the early - mid 90's.
Other ranks, officers, or fake?

[leigh kitchen]

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[Marc Sherriff]

Looks to be the new ALL RANKS MoD issue based on the Officer Pattern in the not so expensive ANODISED METAL. Disliked by most soldiers who have had them issued, GG, LI, RGJ. RHF. Para, and of course most of those formed under the options for change.

[leigh kitchen]

Ta, I wondered if that's what it was. Outside the main theme of my collection then, in that it's post Options For Change - the appearance of this sort of quality item's what made me impose an early 1990's cut off date for regular infantry cap badges. Then again over half of what I've got's outside the main theme I should think.
When did Firmins close down? - this one's marked up to them. One of the empoyees set up as The London Badge & button Co, so I heard, having aquired a number of the old dies.

[Marc Sherriff]

Firmin and Son still make items for the MoD.