Metals for badges

[DrB]

I have been at this collecting game for about 30 years and, now being retired and isolated in Kansas, have some questions regarding the metals on pre and WWI cap badges, et al

I will state my beliefs on some things and ask for guidence on others. Please feel free to correct me on any of the below:

1. "Gilt" is the result of an electroplating process that leaves a thin film of gold on a metallic surface. These are sometimes found on officers badges and other uniform accouterments, but not those of OR's.

2. "Silver plate" is the same as above, but silver is used. Not often found, if ever, on WWI Officers badges. Generally, sterling was used.

2. "Gilding metal "is actually brass and is found on OR cap badges and etc. It has a higher content of copper, hence its reddish appearence. It is the only brass used on genuine badges of WWI and WWII.

4. True "brass" has a definate yellowish color, it is "softer" and is never found on genuine badges. Was it ever used in Victorian times for badges? What about all-brass economy issues during the Great War?

6. Badge sliders and rings on the reverse of the badges were always made of copper for OR's. (Rifle regiments wearing black excepted) If Officers wore bronze badges, the badge "tabs" were bronzed as the remainer of the badge was.

I would greatly appreciate any comments, criticisms, corrections or derisions pertaining to the above.

I have KK I and II, Cox, Gaylor, Edwards, et. al. and none of them ever address these questions directly.

Thank you for your time and interest.

DrB

[Graeme Fisher]

Seems an accurate summary to me, DrB, but we both know that someone will bring up one of those exceptions to the rule.....

On the point of Gilding Metal, I understand (and perhaps some scientific whiz will give the percentages) that the copper portion of the metal was higher than most other forms of brass, specifically made for badge manufacture.

Many restrikes are made using other formulations of the brass alloy, and a good rule of thumb is that if it don't sit comfortably amongst known good and genuine badges, then it's probably wrong. Exceptions are cast badges made in India and North Africa in both wars, which are valid as locally manufactured in a theatre of war.

Badges made in yellow brass, six years ago in Birmingham, buried in the garden for twelve months and sold at provincial antiques fairs at top rates arenot, in hmy humble opinion, valid.

Good advice, DrB.

Graeme

[Pte1643]

6. Badge sliders and rings on the reverse of the badges were always made of copper for OR's.

Doc

All the "Sliders" on the rear of the badges I have, appear to be made of the same material as the badge itself, Which I believed to be Brass...(Bi-Metal excepted!)

I'm not a huge collector of badges, I have a few select ones, mostly to the same regiment, hence I'm no expert on this matter. But I work in engineering, and they sure look and feel like brass to me. I know I have a couple of "Dodgy" ones in the collection, but the others seem "Right".

Do then, the original sliders have a look of Brass, but are not actually Brass?

Please don't take this as a correction or critisism on your statement, just an observation.

Mark

[DrB]

Mark...you are absolutely correct. (To my way of thinking anyway)

The sliders on the back are brass. I must have been suffering from cranio-rectal inversion when I wrote that about copper.

Thanks for pointing that out.

DrB

[Mike_H]

Dr.B

I have copy of a War Office Specification dated 10 March 1930 which gives the following descriptions of the mix for metals

Gilding Metal:- Copper 86.5%

Zinc 13.5%

White Metal:- Copper 64.5%

Nickel 19.0%

Zinc 16.5%

Brass:- Copper 70 - 64 %

Zinc 30 - 36 %

No doubt the permitted variation in proportions of copper/zinc mix accounts for colour variations we detect in brass badges.

Yours

Mike

[max7474]

I agree about the brass sliders. I do have however a genuine East Lancs regt badge with an impeccable provenance which has a white metal slider although this is only one of over 100 WW2 badges I got from my grandfather who collected them in the 1940s.

The restrike WW1 economy badges are often of a much yellower brass than the originals. I will try and post some examples of a genuine economy and a copy.