Metropolitan Police Silver Service Star

[dpk]

Hoping for some further information here!

Dave Wilkinson, in a long-ago post gave the following information about the commonly seen 1914 Metpol silver star (pictured):

''These stars were awarded to those who had presented themselves for attestation in the Metropolitan Special Constabulary BEFORE midnight on 31st December 1914. They were worn on the left forearm only. For those ranks of Inspector and above the "ring" surrounding the centre and the centre itself was enamelled dark blue with the wording "Metropolitan 1914" and the inter twined "SC" centre showing in relief.'

 

Most of us have seen these stars for sale here and there. However, I have never seen one with blue enamel, and am keen to get pics, and even acquire one.

 

I know that the Metpol SC bronze cap badge had various colour enamels in the King's crown centre, and dark blue is said to be colour for an Inspector (as pictured, image courtesy of Trevor Finbow) which coincideds with the above info re the Star as well.

 

Any info most welcome.

 

[dpk]

Based on the description of the 'Inspector's Star' above, presume it would look like this:

[dpk]

After discussions with 4 very well regarded UK police medal and badge collectors, the common opinion was that this enamelled star did not exist but was probably a mistaken theory that as the Metropolitan cap badges had coloured enamel in the crown to represent ranks of the wearer, that same concept would have been applied to the Silver Stars, which it seems it was not.

I am sorry to have sparked this thread, but I was enthusiastic that if it was correct, I had a lot of Silver Stars to add to my collection!

[Dave Wilkinson]

Please find attached a photo of the example I have as requested.

 

Dave.

[dpk]

Hi Dave,

Fantastic! Very glad to see it- it opens up a whole new avenue of collecting/research. I have sought opinions from 4 other long-standing police medal/badge collectors on the 'enamelled stars' and all have never heard of them or seen any either. One possibility they raised was that it may have been a private adornment added to the star by the recipient, to match the known enamelled cap badges (eg, Inspector was blue, sergeant yellow, and there were about 4 other colours for different ranks).

 

I will keep on looking for other examples, but as the 4 experts and I have never seen them anywhere else I tend to agree it was a private adaptation rather than an official issue. If official, I would have expected to see others, especially to the more common rank of Sergeant (yellow).

 

Thanks again, and if you have any more info I would be pleased to learn!!

Best regards

David

[Dave Wilkinson]

I don't quite know why you should assume that there are versions showing colours other than blue enamel. My original post (shown below) makes that quite clear.

 

'These stars were awarded to those who had presented themselves for attestation in the Metropolitan Special Constabulary BEFORE midnight on 31st December 1914. They were worn on the left forearm only. For those ranks of Inspector and above the "ring" surrounding the centre and the centre itself was enamelled dark blue with the wording "Metropolitan 1914" and the inter twined "SC" centre showing in relief.' 

 

Looking at your previous posts contained within this thread, you really seem to be going off, for some reason, on a totally irrelevant tangent here.

 

Dave.

Edited March 14, 2022 by Dave Wilkinson

[dpk]

Thank you, Dave for your succinct critique. I would be pleased if you could advise details of the reference you quote from above- was it an official release from the Metropolitan police, or an academic text or research paper?

 

One thing I note in your example Star is that the top of the letters of 'Metropolitan', '1914' and the central 'SC', and the surrounding edge of the circle appear to have been ground flat compared to the plain Star badge, as if to re-expose the silver metal after application of the blue material. That may well be a common manufacturing practice, but I haven't seen it before and it appears to differ from the way the blue enamel was applied and finished in the enamelled Metropolitan police cap badge of the same era.

 

I take your point from the reference you quote, that only 'Inspector and above' received the blue enamelled Star. I assume that means there were a number of Inspectors and also numbers of others in the ranks above who all received a blue enamelled Star. In contrast, when the various enamelled cap badges were issued, they each bore a different colour depending on the rank of the recipient. Therefore I perhaps wrongly assumed that the same concept would apply to a similar rank-based distinction in the Stars.

 

Lastly, I am not sure of the numbers of men in 'Inspector or above' positions but I again assume there would have been enough to ensure that other examples of this enamelled Star would have been issued and survived to be seen by later collectors, which at least four with over 80 years combined experience have not. I do of course recognise that you have indeed located one, and well done in doing so. 

 

All of my above observations, possibly erroneous of course, indicate to me your blue-filled star may have been a one-off adaptation by the recipient after issue. However I am hopeful that the source of the quote you provide above will have the credibility to show this interesting and rare Star was indeed an official issue- in which case I will of course acknowledge the fact and become a very keen seeker of such an example!

 

All the very best, and I look forward to your advice.

David

 

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Thank you for your further message.

 

The information I give is taken from an undated and unpublished manuscript which was written in approximately 1972. It is titled "History of Metropolitan Police Uniforms & Equipment" by Norman W.H. Fairfax (Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Police Civilian Staff) and Victor L.H. Wilkinson (Chief Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police). The version I have is a very poor photocopy.

 

The manuscript refers throughout to photographic images which it was intended to be included in the final publication and indeed I have over the years seen several of these images which were obviously specifically taken for inclusion. However, none of these accompanied the manuscript itself. For whatever reason the book was never published. I know not for certain, but perhaps funding was an issue.

 

There is nothing further I can add to the discussion insofar as the badge itself is concerned. What I would say is that there is ample evidence that many of the badges (in various forms) worn by the MSC were not issued by the force, but were in fact privately purchased. The MSC, particularly during the Great War and after was often peopled, especially at senior rank, by wealthy, well connected and often titled individuals who would simply have a divisional emblem or badge made at their own expense for issue to their men. Officialdom appeared, on the face of it, to turn a blind eye to much of this individuality. 

 

I hope this is helpful.

 

Dave. 

 

  

[dpk]

Thank you Dave. That certainly seems to be a very credible reference, corroborated by your example. It is very helpful, and certainly opens up this very interesting area of Special Constabulary awards. I will be keeping a keen eye out for similar examples- I would love to add one to my collection.

 

Best regar4ds

David