Great Britain 1937 Coronation 'Gold Staff Officer's' baton.

[Nightbreak]

It's been nearly three years since this topic was last updated, and I have done as much gathering as I can.  Since many Google Searches for phrases like "Coronation Baton", "Gold Staff Officer" and even "Green Staff Officer" bring up this thread, I feel it's become the best Illustrated Reference Guide we currently have.

 

Apologies to Ross for the hijack, but I'm going to add some more information here to fill a few holes, and add some more images for those searching.  Whoever scrapes this site for images to add to Pinterest will surely appreciate it.

There are batons for not just Coronations, but also for Investitures and Silver Jubilee Thanksgiving Services.  I've seen several examples and collected a handful, with an eye to others.  We've seen an example in this thread of one for Princess Elizabeth's wedding in 1947, and the possibility exists for funerals, as I've seen one for Churchill's funeral in an auction last year.

 

I have seen batons for William IV, Victoria, and so on up the chain to Elizabeth II.  There are some different styles overall.  William IV's was *claimed* to be brown with black ends, although it could be a simple misidentification by the auction house  (see attached).  A Victorian coronation baton is black with gold lettering on both the royal cipher and the year.

Edward VII and George V, follow the 'red body with gold ends' format.  They measure 30 inches (76 cm) in length

 

This color scheme reverses for George VI, as seen below, although I have found a red with gold ends version.  Both come in at 21 inches (53.5 cm)

Elizabeth II is shown as a gold baton with blue ends in at least three examples, although again I have seen a gold with red ends version from a fellow collector.  It measures 21 inches (53.5 cm)

 

We know those who serve as ushers in Coronations are referred to as Gold Staff Officers.  If it's an Investiture, in the case of those for the Prince of Wales in 1911 and 1969, the ushers are Green Staff Officers or Silver Staff Officers.  Green appears more often in searches, but I have seen an armband and instruction booklet referencing 'Silver'.  The ones from Prince Charles' 1969 Investiture appear to be mostly Heralds from the College of Arms.

 

Silver Staff Officers are from the Silver Jubilee Thanksgiving Services of 1935 and 1977, for George V and Elizabeth II, and measure 21 inches (53.5 cms).

 

The staff shown above that Richard identified as belonging to 'an early Investiture of the Order of the Bath' is because of its three crowns.  These appear on the breast Star of the Order.  I recently acquired one of my own (seen in this post), and while it's quite battered, it's a nice addition.

 

The gold and black baton with the Duke of Norfolk's crest and Earl Marshal Batons with '48' on it has been tentatively identified as a "household staff".  Number 46 was illustrated in a mid-1920s book on truncheons by Erland Fenn Clark.

The three batons sold at auction last year from Churchill's funeral consist of the 1977 Silver Jubilee, the 1935 Silver Jubilee, and one black baton with gold ends that purports to be from the funeral itself.

 

I am always interested in other styles, occasions, and mentions of these, and if anyone wishes to add on, I'd be more than happy to learn more.

[Nightbreak]

Hi, Hugh.  Nice to know you have one of these pieces.  It would have been Princess Elizabeth's wedding from 1947 before she became Queen, as Richard pointed out above.

 

I don't know if there's a list of those who were ushers for the wedding, if that's what you're asking, but it's possible it could be mentioned somewhere in your Grandfather's career.

 

Do you have an image?

[Dr Tom Balchin]

Hi Nightbreak,

 

How are you, and other contributors to this particular topic (since 2014!)

 

May I show here my father (Lord Lingfield)'s collection? I've bought various pieces over the years, on ebay and elsewhere, including the group of three shown at the start of the topic - so I hope you're now at last sure that these three batons, discussed and re-discussed a few times, have been saved in a suitable collection and are now back 'on show here'! As you or another member has pointed out, this is most probably the best source (visual, anyway?) for the topic on the web.

And another pic..

[Nightbreak]

Dr. Balchin, thank you very, very much for this look at yours and your father's collection.  It's wonderful to see another 1911 Investiture Green Staff Officer's baton, too.  I acquired mine as part of a package with a William IV Aberdeen short staff, which was what kickstarted this particular interest.

 

I'm pleased to see those three batons from before, and they all look in marvelous condition.  Your Order of the Bath Investiture staff is in much better shape than the one I acquired from Australia the other month.  I do hope one day that Richard from Vancouver will reappear to tell us more, because it sounded like he had quite the collection of his own.

 

This has become our best resource currently because often the College of Arms can't or won't answer questions about the creation or styles of batons for royal events.  It's often beyond their memory or knowledge, to be honest.   So people searching Google for information on their items will likely find us near the top of the list.

 

At this point, all we need is someone to produce a Georgian (IV or III) coronation staff, or perhaps ones from a Silver Staff Officer from Victorian Jubilees.  I'll be very excited the day a 1969 Investiture baton does appear, if they were even made.

[Dr Tom Balchin]

Wonderful Nightbreak! The William IV Aberdeen short staff is indeed a rare beast - and I particularly like the gold and black baton with the Duke of Norfolk's crest on - just superb!! I'll pop back into this website periodically to see what further goodies you manage to acquire - you must be on your way now to putting together one of the most complete private holdings of Batons!

[Nightbreak]

As an update after the coronation of Charles III, Gold Staff Officers were spotted in the parade.  It appears as if Charles' baton is similar to his mother's, with a gold staff and light blue ends.  The image here is from Wikipedia.  Lt-Col. Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, MVO, of the Household Cavalry.

 

Good to know that this tradition endures.

 

Edited May 27, 2023 by Nightbreak

[Graf]

On 28/05/2023 at 09:29, Nightbreak said:

As an update after the coronation of Charles III, Gold Staff Officers were spotted in the parade.  It appears as if Charles' baton is similar to his mother's, with a gold staff and light blue ends.  The image here is from Wikipedia.  Lt-Col. Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, MVO, of the Household Cavalry.

 

Good to know that this tradition endures.

 

Nice

[Dr Tom Balchin]

Hi all,

 

Six  more additions to report to the collection of The Right Hon, the Lord Lingfield's which he and I have put together over the years. First, I was pleased to secure an addition from Spinks of two batons carried by Lieutenant-Colonel Sir J. F. D. Johnston, G.C.V.O., M.C., Grenadier Guards and Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's Office. A 1977 Silver Jubilee baton with gilt E.II.R. cypher, painted in red and silver and a very rare beast from the State Funeral of Sir Winston Churchill; baton painted in dark green and gold. Both in very fine condition. Also added is a 1935 Silver Jubilee baton and an absolute treasure from Noonans Mayfair auction; a Gold Staff Officer’s baton from the Coronation of Queen Victoria: painted wood, emblazoned with the arms of the Duke of Norfolk within a garter, superimposed on crossed batons and beneath a ducal coronet, the finial bearing the royal arms, a crown and V R, the terminal with the arms of the office holder, length 61cm, together with a modern mahogany stand for vertical display. Borne by Thomas William Fletcher (1808 - 1893) in the capacity of Gold Staff Officer of the Earl Marshall the Duke of Norfolk, 28 June 1838. Condition Report Some minor rubbing to the painted surface, not affecting the armorials. Also, King George VI 1937 Gold Staff Officer's Coronation armband (very fine) and another armband (very fine) from the same Coronation. 

 

Edited February 15 by Dr Tom Balchin

[Dr Tom Balchin]

Arm bands and view of the arms of terminal of the Queen Victoria's Baton, with motto as 'Salvation Under The Cross'.

[Dr Tom Balchin]

Also, quite fun - these are non-Coronation batons from England and Scotland - and range from those carried in town/county processions, legal proceedings and those which are a literal extension of the law!

Edited February 15 by Dr Tom Balchin

[Dr Tom Balchin]

Btw, just a note about continuation of batons used at Coronations, King Charles III definitely did NOT cause to have made batons for his Coronation; very sadly. His Coronation was very different in terms of scale/expenditure eg, the great majority of the Peers were not invited (initially involvement of members of the House of Lords even required those few to leave their robes and coronets at home and wear suits instead). The batons like those shown here is known to be one re-used from the Coronation of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Our long-term family friend, current Clarenceux King of Arms, notes that it is thought thought that the Prince of Wales is unlikely to regenerate the practice. Btw Nightbreak, I've asked so many sources now, and conclusion is that there were no batons made for the 1969 Investiture. So again for a bit of fun, two pics of a long wand from St. Barts Hospital last year!

[Megan]

I can confirm that no batons were used at the 1969 Investiture.

 

 

[Nightbreak]

Oh, YOU'RE the one who sniped that Victorian Coronation baton from me!  We had the same bid amount and I thought I'd won for a couple of hours there, but I think yours took precedence because of time.  I'd be annoyed, but you saved me a good deal of money in the process.  In fact, I think all the ones I've posted here have ended up in your collection.  The Churchill & two Jubilee batons I remember seeing from that US Auction. 

I would also say it's a shame that Charles did not revive the practice, but it means less flailing around for us to try and get ones for ourselves.

 

I appreciate your collection of long staves there, and see at least two from Perthshire, and that Edinburgh High Constable's Medical one I was considering bidding on last year.  Posted a few of mine over in the Mervyn Mitton's British & Colonial Police section, but will reveal them all here in their groupings.  Several are Manorial Staves, more for households than police or magistrates, and I have one of the Administrator staves from Christ's Hospital as well!  Let's see if I can recite them all:

 

Longe Family Household Staff

Cator Family Staff

Victorian Edinburgh High Constable Staff

 

George III Edinburgh Staff

 

George IV Roper of Saxlingham Family Staff

George III Midlothian Scottish short staff

 

George IV Dundee Staff

 

Victorian Kirkcaldy Staff

 

George III Edinburgh Staff

 

William IV Aberdeen Staff

 

Victorian Perthshire Constables Staff

 

George III Calton Staff 

 

George III Brechin Staff
 

George III Kinross-shire Staff

 

George III Edinburgh/Midlothian staff 

 

I had to go out and get a copy of John Green's Book "Scottish Insignia As Used By Old Police Forces" to identify a couple of them, and I do have one or two of his pieces illustrated there in my collection currently.

 

Tom, thank you so much for continuing to post these.  You have a marvelous collection, I'm thrilled to see what you've accumulated (at least you don't have to suffer the pain of shipping to Canada), and I can't wait to see what you get next.

 

Andrew  (Nightbreak)

Edited Sunday at 16:12 by Nightbreak