Mike McLellan

I may be wrong, but I think that he was also an “Iron Chef”.

Looks like a perfect match to me. Very nice. Mike

Well done! Successful research helps bring these things back to life. Thanks for sharing.

I wonder if the heavier or thicker font, as well as the pronounced third ring around the rim is due to cleaning or normal wear. The example with the red background looks untouched. The other looks almost mint. Otherwise, yours looks okay to my tired eyes.

Beautiful!! Do the sandbags provide enough ballast to mitigate the harm caused by a clumsy oaf reaching across his desk for his coffee cup? I speak only for myself, of course. Seriously, that is a beautiful piece of work. Mike.

It’s awfully hard, even for the most clever among us, to improve upon perfection. The City Police insignia is, in my not-so-humble opinion, one of the most beautiful police badges in the world. Why change? Mike The RCMP is a very close second. We need a thread devoted to aesthetically beautiful police insignia. That should spark some fierce debates!

Thanks Dave. Always helpful. So...from the Contemptables to the Beatles! Quite a span. Mike.

What looks like a nest of slithering slimy creatures is actually a group of City of London Police helmet plates that arrived in yesterday's mail. I don't get many opportunities to add to my collection, so when these appeared on line, I resisted for as long as I could, but finally bit the rather costly bullet, and caved in. I'm sure that you all know the feeling! Since COL plates have evolved almost without change in the past 150 years, I really don't know how old these things are. The paint condition and bits of green mold suggest that they are quite old. Any guesses or other comments? Mike

Awesome. Thanks for sharing your beautiful collection. Mike.

Well, Mister Weasel , thanks for breaking your silence! That display stand with your victory medals is a beautifully done piece of wood-working. Would love to see your entire display. Any more photos?

Bye the way, despite what I said about the beauty of the banknotes, which is undeniable, that is one sorry looking wolf. Mike (from wolf country)

Romulus & Remus! I never would have guessed. Thanks, New World, but that begs your question. What’s the connection?

Beautiful banknotes, especially the 5,000,000.00 note. What is the symbolism surrounding the people nursing at the sow? Also, on some of the notes, the round cartouche is blank ; on others, it contains a coat of arms, the couples’ profile, or the above-mentioned sow. Were these left blank at the press and meant to be finished by the bank? Stunning artwork. They just don’t print money anymore (anywhere!) with such quality.

Fascinating display. Is there any program of recognition of professional achievement in place today? I don’t think our government experimented with non-military “attaboy” awards, but many private companies as well as endowment funds provided recognition of special achievement in various areas of industry and the arts. I suspect that many of the high-achievers of all of our countries took the position of: “Thanks, but if I’m that good, how about some extra money!”. That being said, these awards are a great reminder that everybody likes to hear the boss recognize an employee for a job well done.

The divisional symbol, if I squint my eyes just right, somewhat resembles the fouled anchor of the Thames Division of The Metropolitan Police. On the other hand, it could be a stylized letter L or P or ?. The jubilee medal is lacking the 1897 clasp, so that’s no help in narrowing down the date. We’ll have to wait for Dave Wilkinson to climb aboard. He will have the definitive answer. Mike.

Cooler than cool!

Would these games be re-enactments of historical events, or re-grouping in hopes of a different outcome? Aren’t you running the risk of opening old wounds? It sounds like an ambitious venture. Good luck. Mike

Build a road through that? Those guys didn’t even have chainsaws! You’ve already captured it. Beautiful! Mike.

That’t a beauty. I wonder if the badge represents aero-plane propellers or a heraldic device as in the arms of Plymouth, etc. Very nice hat.

It would be better with pictures.

Christerd / What a fascinating thread! From beginning to end, the story gets more interesting, and the information that was given to Mira made it all the more exciting. This is one example of why GMIC is the finest site on the whole damn internet! Mike

My dear gentlemen, I wonder if “Fake” is too callous a term for this piece. We know that Bow Street has been the seat of policing for a century and a half. In all that time there has been no strictly adhered-to pattern of official accoutrements or equipment. This thing is woefully ugly. The apparatus on the top, in place of the pattee, resembles a beer-bottle opener; Something that could be quite utile in the keeping of the Queen’s Peace. The wooden handle shows no wear of any kind, although the shaft itself does. Nor does it resemble any wood native to England. Lastly, Bow Street is not within the City of London’s ancient limits. I suspect it’s a souvenir manufactured for who-knows-what market, or to commemorate some occasion that none of us were invited to. The bidding is fairly active, and in the end, we may find that, to at least one collector, this “Holy Grail” will find a place of honor in his collection. None of us were born experts. We learned what we know the same way the high bidder is going to gain a little bit of expertise. I hope he thinks it’s a bargain. Mike (Been there / Done that) McLellan

Beautiful. I’ve never seen one before. When Professor Google called it a “gold medal”, was he refering to the colour or the content of the metal? Very nice, indeed! Mike

Casual Friday or pajamas?

Mazel Tov! It doesn’t happen often. But when it does, it’s sweet!