Some Canadian badges 🇨🇦

[Farkas]

Hi Gents,

when I’m in, I’m usually all in… when I decide to trust someone before everyone else does that’s when I want it all.

Everything in the covers came from the same place in the last three months or so. When I bought the first 3 tunics on the cheap, I was crossing my fingers. Then  once I got them and saw labels with names & dates that weren’t mentioned in the listing, found epaulettes and collar badges in pockets also not mentioned I knew they were genuine and no con…

hence the rest you see 👆 (& more😊)

 

The reason I mention this is I bought a first job lot of 20 or so badges, cheap.   Got them and saw some looked good and some looked great, but surely too great to be genuine 🤷‍♂️

Well, I’ve bought more since including these 👇 which are all Canadian, some older with Kings crown some QE2 era.

 

Some as you see are older yet have no wear

 

 

Then you see the back of them..,

The seven below are all maker marked, the  four with sliders stamped, the 3 others with little makers plates.

 

 

How can it be? I asked myself.

 

Well I think I’ve worked it out.

All with makers marks are marked Firmin, no other makers.

One delivery came in a 30 year old cardboard badge box from Firmin.

All seem to have faults (imo), the lugs are misaligned or the slider off line, some are scorched in one place or another.

 

Also, I’ve found a couple more people selling the ‘same’, again Firmin only, again all look good and all have a fault (imo). Some say theirs are original, some saying unknown age. And finally I’ve now spotted Firmin buttons too, shed loads, boxes of them.

 

They still have all the badge dyes (dies?) so I know they can make restrikes but would they have put the correct period makers marks on them? There are all sorts of variations on these and personally I doubt it.

I think they are the rejects and many seem to be period pieces.

 

 

 

 

It would appear to me that Firmin have had a clear out. All the Queen Elizabeth stock I guess but also these older badges. Maybe they are closing one of the sites, I know they merged with Kashket recently, that would explain it but I’m guessing.

 

Either way, I paid little,  I expected little and so far it’s better than expected.
I’m posting these first because I wanted @Gordon Craig to see them but I’ll do the others soon.

 

Any thoughts welcome as always Gents

 

Cheers

tony 🍻

 

[TracA]

Tony,

 

Nice haul. I think that your hypothesis about "rejects" is a sound one. Perhaps pieces that do not pass quality assurance aren't simply tossed in the bin. Great for the collector, huh?

 

Tracy

[Gordon Craig]

Tony,

This is an odd lot of badges.  Who would box badges that were rejects?  As for markings, Firmin used different marks over the years plus I see some JR Gaunt marked badges as well.  Perhaps the best way to resolve the mystery would be to ask Firmin?  This info I found on line may help you date the badges:

Interesting Firmin Tidbits, provided directly from Darren Reynolds of Firmin!
Firmin was located at Conduit Street from 1838 to 1879.
In 1882 Firmin and Sons opened a factory in St Paul's Square in Birmingham which remained there till 1892.
In 1892 the factory moved to Globe Works in Villa Street, Aston, Birmingham.
In 1971 the factory moved from Aston to Newtown Row where Firmin continues to manufacture buttons today.
In 1981 Firmin became Firmin and Sons, PLC.
In 1994 Firmin's London office closed.
Firmin from then on based solely at Firmin House in Newtown Row, Birmingham.
In 2006 Firmin reverted to Firmin and Sons Ltd.
J R Gaunt and Son was bought by Firmin and Sons in 1991 and remains part of Firmin and Sons Ltd today.

 

Regards,

Gordon

[Farkas]

Hi Gents,

I contacted the seller and he was kind enough to answer my questions..,

 

I’m happy with that 😊

At 22 quid for 15 in this case I only needed a few to be legit.
There are others I’d bought previously that I was sure were all reproductions because they were only about a quid each and looked new.

There were many British/Indian badges and I was ok with new reproductions.

 

Vintage restrikes and some legit ones is a nice surprise & fine with me.

Cerrs

tony 🍻