Genuine or copy?

[chris71]

Hello gents, I picked up a little collection of British cap badges today....all mainly run of the mill but this one intrigues me and I would like opinions on wether you believe it to be genuine Victorian badge or a later/modern copy/re strike ....After a quick google search it seemed the examples I found were this colour metal when described as original and more brass coloured when described as copy....thanks in advance

 

[peter monahan]

CB  

Welcome aboard!  can we have a first name to address you by, perhaps?  I'm afraid I can't help much with this particular query, as British badges are not me forte, but I'm sure some of our very knowledgeable members will be along shortly to chip in.

Peter

 

[chris71]

Ha, yes sorry for my lack of manners......I'm Chris ....I'm hoping someone can help me with this badge ...

[pjac]

Chris, It's years since I collected cap badges, and I'm quite happy to be corrected on my thoughts. My first reaction is that the back looks very shiny and clean,  often the sign of a modern copy. However, the front looks to have been well polished, with highlights rubbed down, which suggests it might be genuine. How big is it? I don't recall seeing a cap badge like this, but I have seen pouch badges in this design. Final thought- it looks as though it has been cast, rather than struck from a die. This could mean that it's a poor copy. Some cast badges are genuine, and were made when a unit was stationed overseas, but I'm not sure Engineer Volunteers would have been posted abroad.

Hope somebody more knowledgeable can help

Patrick

[Mervyn Mitton]

I have often found that when a badge has been left on the original cap for many years that the back retains a shine missing at the front.    On this piece the front shows all the signs of regular polishing  -  takes years to get that worn look , unless a buffer is used.   I would be be tempted to say that I think thtis is a genuine Victorian example.    Mervyn

ps  -  welcome to GMIC.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Mervyn Mitton

[chris71]

Hi Mervyn thanks for your info....I need to apologise for appearing to have two accounts....for some reason it wouldn't let me log in as my normal user so I hit use facebook to log in and it created me a new account ....Anyway thanks for your positive thoughts about this cap badge ...