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    SWEET HEART BROOCHES - RARE SUBJECT


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    Nice thread here is my contribution these two are going on to our favourite internet auction site shortly! :D

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    Really nice and early 17th foot leicestershire regiment Hallmarked for Birmingham 1898 pre-boer war nice early battle honours

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    Again a nice Victorian Marcasite and Sterling Silver Volunteer Artillery sweetheart, I can say volunteer because it is all silver, a regular Army one would have been gilded. The big clue was it came with the medals and effects of an officer in the Bengal Volunteer Artillery :lol:

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    Hi - Kingsman. Two very nice sweetheart brooches. The first is for the Leicstershire Regiment and the other obviously

    Artillery. I think both may have been made in India - the Leics. Regt. were serving there in the 1890's - and although it

    has a Lion Passant to show that it is sterling , there is only a date letter - but, without a mint. The Artillery has letters before

    an 's' - and this could also be Indian.

    Why put them on eBay - we have a very good sales section on GMIC. My Grandfather served with the Leics. Regt. and

    I would bid on the forum. Mervyn

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    Hi Mervyn

    The first one was manufactured in Birmingam in 1898 by Charles Harrold & Co, 2 and 3 St. Paul's Square it has the lion passant date letter q and the Birmingham Anchor mark.

    The Artillery one says 925S and I believe it was Indian made as it came with a MBE/WW1 Pairto an Officer in the Bengal Volunteer Artillery.

    I will have a think about posting on the Classified section thanks.

    Paul.

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    8. Here is my new pick up. This sweetheart brooch is slightly different; First at all, there are no name or used Royal Dublin Fusiliers insignia but instead carries owner's initials on the centre Mother of Pearl piece. Secondly size of it - it's massive (to compare it, I have one picture below with the normal size QSA medal) and last there is a little chamber on the back (for a hair?).

    Owner of that brooch was Sergeant James Monaghan, who served with the 1st Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers in South Africa 1899-1902.

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    I was very pleased to get a picture of Sergeant James Monaghan, when he served with the 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers.

    All of his stuff was sold piece by piece around 4-5 years ago. I am glad to reunite these two at least.

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    close up. Looks like he his wearing some kind a watch and chain or is it the same brooch???

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    Michael

    That's a very nice piece indeed!

    I can see collecting sweethearts would have appeal: you'll never 'get them all' so you'll never run out of stuff to buy and [maybe] they're cheaper than the badges, which go for wicked prices these days. I don't see how anyone could begin collecting is this day and age, unless he's independently wealthy! :(.

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    • 4 months later...
    • 2 weeks later...

    Good Afternoon Mervyn.......

    Here is a sweetheart pin that I picked up at a car boot sale in the UK when I was over on my visit for the princely sum of Four Pounds......

    It was filthy and the voids were full of dirt as if it had been dug up somewhere......

    I cleaned it and have had it tested......

    It turns out that it is Platinum and Diamonds

    Mike

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    A lovely example - and quite rare in platinum. I always tend to think that the ones with diamonds are from senior officers - but

    the truth is that many junior officers in those days came from 'money'. Certainly a good investment for 4 pounds ($6).

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    • 4 weeks later...

    My next pick up arrived today all the way from Australia. This one wasn't cheap bought but very unusual design catched my eyes + RDF brooches do not show up often, so most of my this month student grant was well spent;)
    Does any of you have seen similar designs and can determinate the period and the maker?

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    Hello Noor.....

    Hope that you did not pay toooooo much as the Tiger and Elephant have been removed and the pin in the back is missing......

    See posting #56 above.......

    No luck on maker but I think WW1 period at least pre-1922......

    Mike

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    Hi,

    I am fairly sure that this brooch is missing only its pin system and there haven't never peen elephant and tiger on the grenade. I presume it can be from some general Fusiliers formations sweethearts series, where the text on the scroll changed depend of the unit.

    Because it is slightly different then most of WW1 period designs, I think it can be even from Boer war period?

    Lets see what people with the good knowledge and right sources can add in.

    Thanks again,

    Timo aka Noor

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    Noor - your RDF Sweatheart is interesting - however, I think I agree with Mike that it may be missing the badge. When you look

    carefully you can see a 'blob' on the lower left - this may be the remains of solder ? I would say probably Boer War - as you know

    the Regt. was very active and took part in the first Battle of the War - Talana. Are there any ref. books that show the badge without

    a crest ? Mervyn

    Robin - tis is a lovely example for the 17th Lancers. The Mother of Pearl seems to have died out after WW1 - but, was fairly common

    in the Boer War. I suspect that this is the earlier type. Mervyn

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    Just for interest, Scans from a book I bought many years ago on collecting militaria, The Book " Military Collectibles an international directory of twentieth-century militaria" By Joe Lyndhurst published by Salamader Books 1983, long out of print now I suspect, but has numerous pages dedicated to Sweetheart brooches, you may find interesting.

    regards

    Alex

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    No, I haven't found any reference regards that badge. I presume they made them more then one and the next one should pop up sometimes and then it is possible to compare.

    Here is my last weekend pick up - this time made from gold by jeweler:

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    Edited by Noor
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    A lovely example. I would say a special commission to the jeweller - he must have done his own engraving, just a bit 'scratchy'.

    Still that doesn't take away from the brooch and the value of the gold must be fairly high. 9ct. but, I can't quite make out the hallmarks. Mervyn

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    • 6 months later...

    Great thread and some nice looking pieces posted here.

    Now that my interests are turning from Kriegsmarine to "British stuff" i have picked up a couple of these "sweetheart" pieces over the last few weeks.

    Here is a 1915 silver hallmarked piece for the Worcestershire Regiment made by Vaughton & Sons,Birmingham.

    Regards,Martin.

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