Cap Badges Anyone?

here are some that were given to me.

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Nice! Love the Victorian QORs, and if that's a legit Lovat Scouts cap badge and not a Fraser clan badge it's pretty tough to come by!
 




I have the vet's Colt M1911A1 pistol rig and his RAF Ferry Command framed certificate and his RAF Pilot's Flying Log Book.

I do not own the badges shown above 'at this point'.





 
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Very impressive collections guys! As someone just starting out, you've given me something to look up to! I just have a few so far, but i have a few questions. But first, PICS!







I'm from Hamilton, hence the RHLI and Argyll badges, and my Grandfather served in the RCAMC. So, first few questions.

1) I'd like to mount the medical corps badge next to my Grandfather's medals, so how would i clean something like this up and care for these?

2)How can i tell if these badges are from the war or if they're modern? Is there a guide you can point me to? I think the next badge I'd like to get is a Seaforth Highlanders of Canada badge. But how can I tell if an ebay listing or something is authentically WWII?

I'll finish these off with a few other pics. Last time I was home my father and I were lucky enough to be invited to the Royal Military Institute in Toronto. It was fantastic! They had dozens of frames with cap badges in them. I can't believe i only got 2 pictures of them, but here they are!





And finally we also visited the RHLI museum and they had some cool badges as well. Sorry for the poor quality of the photos.













As you can see, the crown on the Argyll badge doesn't quite look like mine. The RHLI badge here also looks different to mine, but the museum curator told me the badge design changed after they became the wentworth regiment.

Anyway, I hope you liked the pics, and thanks for any help you can give me!
 
Great pictures!

Your Argyll badge is post-1953, that crown style is called the Queens Crown (properly the St Edwards crown) and usually means it's an Elizabeth II era badge. Except when it's the RCR, Queens Own Rifles or Queens York Rangers who have for various reasons worn it even during the war eras.

Your RHLI is the 1939 pattern so it's a correct WW2 badge. Your RCAMC looks like it's bronzed - might be an officers badge, they're often bronzed. Is it stamped or cast?

The standard reference is David Mazeas' book Canadian Badges 1920-1950. It's basically just a handbook with illustrations rather than photos but his identification numbers are common shorthand. The British Badge Forum website has a great photo gallery referencing his numbers but doesn't include the dates of issue. The good news is fakery isn't as big an issue with Canadian badges as it is with British - except the really rare ones anyways. That said there are still reproductions out there though, so keep your head about you! And don't feel too bad if you make a bad purchase, everyone does sometimes.

Almost forgot! The Canadian Seaforths in WW2 are a bit a weird one. The overseas battalion wore the British Seaforths badge without the crown or L. The home service battalions wore the Canadian pattern with the crown and L all in one piece. Officers and senior NCOs wore multi part badges - I'm not sure if overseas officers wore them or the British pattern though. The Pictou Highlanders badge is basically the same as the British Seaforths but in brass instead of white metal. There's a lot of confusion around that subject. British pattern Seaforth badges are easy to come by, the others can be a little spendier.
 
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Honestly it's up to you but I'd leave it as is, I like the age. Its tough to clean them without losing the detail, I'd ask over at the British Badge Forum and talk to someone with more experience than me cleaning them.
 
Cool collection. I've got a brass LER cap badge with King's crown. I also have the cheaper anodized version with the Queen's crown that I was issued once upon a time ago.
 
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