evaluation of Guards RSM badge

[Saraota Steve]

I am a very new member, and perhaps this is not the right forum, but here is my query:

I have a Guards RSM badge, number 2 dress, Queen Victoria crown, dated I assume in the late 1800's, perhaps 1870, similar to the badge pictured in the article recently appearing in these pages.

The embroidery is clean and bright, but there are 2 small moth holes in the surrounding olive-khaki wool cloth.

Can someone please advise me the value of this item.

Thank you.

Saraota steve

[TacHel]

A picture my friend... A picture is worth a thousand words. It is quite difficult to assess anything based on a simple description.

Edited March 22, 2012 by TacHel

[Saraota Steve]

[Saraota Steve]

my badge is exactly like this one, copied from the website, except for 2 minor bits of moth damage to the wool cloth surround, one at the top, above the crown, and one at the very bottom.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Saraota Steve - firstly - welcome to GMIC. Looking at the badge illustration - and you say yours is

identical - then I think it is Queen Elizabeth - rather then Queen Victoria.

They both use King Edward's Crown and this look more in the present style. However, with collecting you

quickly learn not to jump to conclusions - so, we must see what others say.

Value wise I would have thought - if it is QE2 - perhaps 40 to 60 Pounds ($64 -96). However, do some research on line.

[Saraota Steve]

Thanks - you may indeed be correct - did the army use olive-drab wool in the 19th century ? Khaki colored cotton, yes, but I doubt if such a dark woolen was used at that time. Let's see what others may say in response.

[Mervyn Mitton]

I always like to give others a chance to answer - however, in this case I'm pretty certain it's QE2. Mervyn

[Odulf]

I agree! QR2

The Victorian Crown was not round in the "knees", and I have not seen any on the olive woolen backing as shown.

Still, a desirable collective....

Edited March 23, 2012 by Odulf

[Saraota Steve]

thanks for the information.

[Hugh]

Just like the badge I got at HMS Tamar, Hong Kong, in the '70's (current issue at the time).

[Paul L Murphy]

The Guards first wore khaki in the Sudan Campaign from memory. I would be pretty certain that what you have is a QEII version of the badge since the Victorian era badges are normally only found on red cloth since they were worn on the full dress uniform then. These currently fetch about £30, assuming they are in good condition. If it has moth damage then the price would drop a lot.

[coldstream]

Gentlemen

Just noticed this and can confirm that it is indeed a QE11 version of the Regimental Sergeant Majors rank badge. Of interest though is that the manufacture of this type of badge was changed when the Number two dress uniform was simplyfied and modernised in the mid eighties (if memory serves me right on the date!)

The newer versions are much more brightly coloured and, to my mind, look and feel inferior, this example however is pre this modernisation and would have been worn on Number two dress and also on the combat jacket.

Regards Simon