insigniaguy

I heard recently from a Member that since around 2009, when recruits get their badges at graduation at Depot, their brand new wallet badge/ID badge has very pronounced pitting or pebbling on the background area of the badge. This is the new thing and has been ongoing. If you are able to view an older wallet badge with a 10 power magnifier, you will see that the background of the older badges is made up of fine dots as well. But they are so fine that many consider the background to be a smooth finish. On these newer badges, the pebbling is so pronounced, you can see it from a few feet away and up close you certainly don't need a magnifier to see this. I also thought all wallet badges - old and current - were flat, to properly fit into the issued wallet. The badges are typically attached to a small piece of leather with 2 small round rivets, which allows for easy insertion and removal with the wallet.

Unfortunately, I have none for sale.

Here is a pic of a red serge/tunic from the RCMP, used by a lady in times past. Click on it for a better view. These were first issued in 1975 and lasted until 1990 or 1991 - I don't have an exact date - if you know, let us know. As you can see, the buttons are sewn on the left side of the serge, as is typical for women's clothing. Finding a decent color pic of one of these is a little difficult, so I thought I would post this to this site. These were worn with a white turtleneck and a skirt. The ladies also wore pumps. I just have the serge. I have lots more RCMP insignia pictured on my web site, which is watermarked on to the photo.

Here are 2 more RCMP badges. Click on the pics for a better look. The auxiliary badge is unofficial - not issued by the RCMP. However, it is well made, and my guess is that it was actually carried by an auxiliary constable regardless of whether the badge was issued or not. Note that the auxiliary badge has no French on it. The transition to bilingual insignia began around 1972. The retired badge is much more recent and has what the RCMP seems to like regarding retired badges - a very different look from the wallet badge, also called the identification badge. The retired badge has a colored center crest and does not have the word POLICE on it in large letters (as on other Retired badges). It has a long wallet clip on the back. The Member's regimental number has been blocked from view. Still looking for other Retired RCMP badges. Lots of RCMP things to see on my web site - noted on the pics.

Here are some pics of 2 different sword knots used by the RCMP. The top one is leather and the bottom one is called gold - the acorn looks like it is made of the gold wire bullion thread. The strap on the bottom one has the gold and purple colors found on commissioned officers' belts, though the belts have only one purple stripe. The straps are attached to the sword handles. I thought I would post such photos because some of you have likely seen pictures of Members holding swords, but seeing closeup pics of the sword knots are far less common. You can sometimes see pics of reproduction RCMP sword knots such as on auction sites. These are the real deal.

Regarding the RCMP posting just 2 posts above this one - the photos here were not loading properly for me yesterday, so I added some pics that were already posted 5 months ago - I did not see the pics in my prior posting, which would have jogged my memory - so some of what I posted yesterday was a "rerun" - my apologies. But at least I added a photo of the vest worn with the mess kit. Thx.

For your viewing pleasure - and click on the pics to enlarge them - RCMP officer's mess jacket (always unbuttoned) plus the vest. I took a closeup pic of the shoulder insignia because it is different from the standard shoulder insignia - on the mess jacket, the crown and pips are gold/brass colored only, and are smaller than the items worn otherwise. The collar badges are the same as on other uniforms. The back of the vest is bright red. As mentioned in an earlier posting - only officers wear this mess kit, not the NCOs.

Here are pictures of an RCMP Long Service and Good Conduct medal, both obverse and reverse, plus a pic of the outside of the case. Click on each picture, for a larger view. The case has a nice rendition of the Force crest - looks very similar to a collar badge. Note that the reverse says, For Long Service and Good Conduct - in French. Most of these medals, awarded after serving 20 years in good standing, have English on the reverse. So what you see is actually quite rare. I have not seen similar photos of the reverse of this medal in French. You can find lots of pics of the English versions. I believe the French version for this medal began around 1989. The particular medal was awarded to the Member in the mid 1990s. The recipient's name is engraved on the edge of the medal. The medallion itself, made of sterling silver, is approximately 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick and 1 3/8 inches (35 mm) wide. Still need one like this with English on the reverse.

Hi Johnny, Thx - wish I had even more Retired badges to show - and of course, a wallet badge! Still looking for the issued wallet into which the newer Retired badge can fit.

Here are closeup pics of 2 Retired RCMP badges. The one on the Left is older and predates the switch to bilingual insignia which occurred around 1974. The one on the Right is current style. Both are unofficial and are not issued items. But they still look nice and are not easy to obtain. Neither one has any marking on the back. I understand Members are not given any kind of Retired badge upon retirement. Instead, they may get their issued wallet badge encased in lucite/plastic. They also get some ID card which is quite different from their issued identification card. I have seen a pic of a retired badge, similar to the gold colored one on the Right, that had a silver colored center crest but was clearly a Retired badge and not the issued wallet badge. And of course, I have seen the other pics of Retired badges that others have posted in this forum. Still seeking other RCMP Retired badges - and of course, a wallet badge.

Okay - here is the definitive word on the letters on the red RCMP banner pictured above, and on the different one pictured on the prior page - The letters are the initials of the Commanding Officer of "E" Division in British Columbia, who is a Deputy Commissioner. The letters change when the Commanding Officer changes, so just as there are 2 pictures on this site that show 2 different sets of initials, you will see still others since so far, after the pipe band's development there in 2006, there have been 4 Commanding Officers with 4 different banners made. The red banner on the prior page is likely a sample or something - it is missing a period after the middle initial, and the crest is sewn on 90 degrees to where it should be. Many thanks to MP Collector for clearing up the mystery!

Hi - thx much for the posting and the pics - the mystery continues - the logo on the red banner pic I posted, shows the 3 letters B. AB. with no period after the "A" - on your pic, while it is not as clear, yours shows 3 letters, all with a period after each, and the last letter is "B" - but it looks as if the other 2 letters are not "B" and "A" - can't tell what they are due to the fancy script used. But you're right - your pics, and all other pics I have seen of pipe bands, show these banners hanging from the bagpipes just like your pics show - so we can easily see the logos. On the ones I pictured, the logos are sideways. I don't have the "story" behind my pics, hence the inquiry. In any event - in your pic, and again in all other Internet pics I have seen - the blue banner is a darker shade of blue than in the pic I posted. As you said- seems like a sample or manufacturer error - but the crest emblem is still great! Thx again. Still looking for a blue banner just like you pictured, too!

Thx for the info! I guess the logo remains a mystery!

Here is an old banner that was used by the RCMP in times past by a band. Exactly how old is unknown. But this is different from the banner used currently. The current banner is attached to bagpipes and the background is a dark blue. The current banner's crest, while similar to the blue banner's crest pictured here, is turned 90 degrees. The blue banner is 16 inches tall (41 cm) on the left side and 12 1/2 inches tall (32 cm) on the right side. It is 17 inches wide (43 cm) from left center edge to the right center blue edge. The reverse side of the blue banner is the red one pictured. Need your help in identifying both the logo on the red banner, and what the letters mean. I think, but am unsure, that the logo represents British Columbia. If that's true, then I still don't know what the letters mean, nor why only 2 of the 3 letters have periods after them, making this say, B. AB. http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_03_2013/post-15021-0-74197200-1363108598.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_03_2013/post-15021-0-45771100-1363108608.jpg

Here is something you don't see everyday - This is a baldric/sash used by a drum major in an RCMP band. It's worn over the drum major's left shoulder. It measures approximately 36 inches long (91 cm) and 6 3/4 inches wide (17 CM). Thx to the guy who sent me this photo.