Two Coastal Artillery badges

[Martin W]

zinc
1) thickness of metal (major component)
2) hardware differences
3) impurities in the zinc

So you don't have to have separate dies to produce different weight badges, just different materials.

Martin, do you see any obvious difference in thickness between your heaviest HK and your lightest?

Best regards,
---Norm

Yes indeed Norm.

Not only a difference in the thickness of the awards but also in the basemetal.

Here are two S&L HK's that we discussed before and beleive to be period produced pieces.

I took measurements from the badges below in the same areas.

The badge with the needle pin has a thickness of 2.8 mm.The badge with the wide pin has a thickness of 3.3 mm and is much heavier.
I also noticed the difference in the colour of the zinc basemetal.The badge with the wide pin is the thickest and heaviest of the S&L variants but also shows a darker basemetal which suggests that it may have a higher lead content?

It also suggests that there was a difference in the materials used in the production of the zinc basemetals,as you mentioned.

Regards,Martin.

[Patrick W]

Nice one Bob, 2 great badges and the L/56 is a very tough one to find

[Norm F]

Yes indeed Norm.
...
It also suggests that there was a difference in the materials used in the production of the zinc basemetals,as you mentioned.

Regards,Martin.

Hi Martin,

Very interesting observations. Actually it was Hubert who commented on the differences in the zinc basemetals, and I agree. But while the lead impurities increase the weight, I think that the considerable difference in thickness accounts for a greater proportion of the weight difference.

Hard to say which badge is later? The thick one certainly has more dings in it but that may just have been a hard life, and it's hard to draw any conclusions about a timeline for the hardware without further data. If they were both of the same feinzink stock I would guess that the thicker badge was earlier, but if indeed the heavy one is a zinc/lead mixed "Kriegsmetall" then it could be later and thickness would no longer be a significant variable perhaps. It's hard to judge the coloration given the differences in wearing/aging.

What's your "gut feeling"?

Best regards,
---Norm

[Martin W]

What's your "gut feeling"?

Best regards,
---Norm

Hard to say with S&L Norm.Their production was prolific and diverse.

If i had to make a chioce on the above awards i would pick the needle pin variant as the earlier piece.

The basemetal appears to be of a better quality,as do the reverse fittings and rivetting.

Regards,Martin.