Mint HSF Badge

[Marc Garlasco]

True, but I did not have a badge with a granular finish tested - one test does not cover all examples. Still, a lot of what we think is gold is just polished brass.
Marc

[Jody]

So we are saying no such thing as gold plated?

I am still at a loss to figure out my Schwerin AC badge lemon colored finish. No way in my opinion any amount of polishing did this. It did not go from the normal tombak colors to this lemon gold color by rubbing.

I am not sure what created the finish, but there is no overspill at all. A jeweler has looked at it, and is not sure, but thought it was gold plated. But a guess, and I sure do not know. He had a chemical process to find out, but no way I was going to scratch the badge.

The jeweler said it might be possible with a special gold brush like the one Jody described to the obverse to apply the gold plate.

John

Hi John,
Great badge and your badge as well as mine has the same type of finish. I don't think it is gold plated. I wonder if the base metal of the badge, decides how the finish will look when fire-gilted?

Regards,
Jody

[TobyR]

Here are some helpful definitions of gilding;

http://www.answers.com/topic/gilding (see 2/3 way down for fire-gilding)

and gold-plating;

http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?...gold%20plating

Toby.

[John R.]

gold

So is the description used by Huss technically correct?

[Marc Garlasco]

It is still hot!!!

[TobyR]

Personally, I would describe it as fire-gilded, for the reasons outlined when I first joined this thread.

The links I posted earlier are most useful as explanations of the differences between gilding (of note the paragraph on fire-gilding) and plating.

Toby.

[John R.]

Then, after reading the article, and I liked this bit best:

Gilt brass buttons used for uniforms are gilt by this process, and there is an act of Parliament (1796), yet unrepealed, which prescribes 5 grains of gold as the smallest quantity that may be used for the gilding of 12 dozen of buttons 1 in. in diameter.

Your position is that those tombak badges that underwent this mercury gold process did indeed have a small quantity of gold and that it is correct to describe the wreath as gold plated, at least possible in some cases.

Or are we saying that the fire gilt process did not involve any gold, but did involve mercury and some other metals that when the process was complete, looked like gold.

John

[Mike Pinkus]

one of my favorite badges...i have had at least a dozen of these over the last few years, and someone always has to have it more than me...this one however will not be for sale and goes into my sons college fund...just got this 2 weeks ago...cant stop gawking at it

[Mike Pinkus]

2

[Mike Pinkus]

3

[Ludwig]

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Really nice badges shown here!
Has Huss´ badge been sold yet?

[Darrell]

Really nice badges shown here!
Has Huss´ badge been sold yet?

Not as yet. It is still listed with no "HOLD" indicator so far.