Cap tally

[Leuchtturm]

Hi guys,

I´ve received this british cap tally.

How old is it?

Many thanks and best wishes

Chris

[Odulf]

This is hard to say. These fancy letters are not regular for RN ribbons.

The name H.M.S. NILE was carried through the 19th Century by three different units.

The earliest RN cap tallies (first half of the 19th Century) had the name painted in yellow or gold on the ribbon, all later ribbons were standard Navy issue with the name woven in the silk.

But we do see these fancy letters often on cap tallies worn by little boys and girls on their sailor's hat or sennet hat which were fashionable from about the mid 19th century until the Great War.

So to my opinion this tally was never worn officially by a RN rating.

[QSAMIKE]

I have to concur with Odulk, looks like a Souvenir of some sort.....

 

The only Cap Tally that I have that has something different in my collection is a Royal Yacht which has a crown between the Royal and Yacht......

 

Mike  

 

 

This is hard to say. These fancy letters are not regular for RN ribbons.

The name H.M.S. NILE was carried through the 19th Century by three different units.

The earliest RN cap tallies (first half of the 19th Century) had the name painted in yellow or gold on the ribbon, all later ribbons were standard Navy issue with the name woven in the silk.

But we do see these fancy letters often on cap tallies worn by little boys and girls on their sailor's hat or sennet hat which were fashionable from about the mid 19th century until the Great War.

So to my opinion this tally was never worn officially by a RN rating.

[Odulf]

I have to concur with Odulk, looks like a Souvenir of some sort.....

 

The only Cap Tally that I have that has something different in my collection is a Royal Yacht which has a crown between the Royal and Yacht......

 

Mike  

The tally for the Royal Yacht is the odd one out, it has the standard lettering with the crown between the two words.

Under Queen Victoria the tally for the RY was plain black silk. Under Edward VII the text ROYAL [crown] YACHT was introduced; the crown was a "King's Crown" and remained until in 1953 Elizabeth II became the new monarch and thus all crowned insignia were altered.

Another extra ordinary tally was for H.M.S. OPHIR. She was a Royal Mail Steamer who was temporary employed as Royal Yacht for the Royal Tour of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall & York in 1901. The ship's company was boosted by transfering men from the official Royal Yachts (H.M.Y Victoria & Albert and Osborne) and all the men dressed as sailors o/b the Ophir wore a tally with the ship's name sided by little flags.

Edited March 2, 2015 by Odulf

[Leuchtturm]

Hi Guys,

many thanks for your informations.

Best wishes

Chris