Great Britain 17th Lancers silver motto

[Jerry B]

Marked stirling Silver on the reverse, with clear signs that an upper lug has been removed. It came to me mounted on a circa 1950's officers service dress cap with regimental buttons, though the markings and removed lug show that it was from an earlier period and probably started life on a sunhelmet. It also has been repaired near the end of one of the long bones during its life. The cap is for the 17th/21st Lancers from its date, but the motto would have originaly been for the 17th Lancers.

[Tony]

Jerry, were silver badges issued to officers or did they have to buy them? Do you know if they were widespread throughout different regiments or were they only worn with certain units?

Tony

[Jerry B]

Jerry, were silver badges issued to officers or did they have to buy them? Do you know if they were widespread throughout different regiments or were they only worn with certain units?

Tony

Hi Tony,

private purchase as far as I know, as was all officer equipment and uniforms. I assume it was all down to how rich the officer was as to how high a quality his insignia was, though with prestigious regiments only the best was accetable and I think the lancers were one of those posh units and the same applied to all the cavalry.

It has been suggested that the motto was probably a regimental or family heirloom, handed down through the generations. That certainly seems likely in this case, as otherwise it is hard to understand how a circa 1900 item of insignia ended up on a circa 1950's officers cap.

I think that they were more common with the posher regiments with long traditions, whilst the newer units did not go in for this as much.