Featured Stg. Silv. Air Raid Precautions Badge. 1939.

"Oy! You! Put that light out! You 'eah me!?"





My research tells me, silver ARP badges were only made from 1924-1939 (15 years). The ARP was disbanded in 1946. That makes me think this thing might be fairly rare.

I mean, the badges themselves probably aren't too rare. But once the war actually started, silver was understandably in short supply. Maybe more were made in the years 1933/36-1939, due to the war-fever in the air, before rationing probably put silver out of reach. I dunno.

 

7 to 30 pounds....they're all over the ebay UK site.

 

My research suggested that the silver ones might not be as rare as I thought, but still...it is silver And that's somethin'. And it's linked to a very important period in history.

 

The crescent-hook is to fit the badge into the lapel of your jacket or uniform. I agree, it's quite ingenious

 

It's the same clip as was used for TA badges and suchlike. It goes in a lapel buttonhole.

There was precious little fever for war in the late 30s here. Hence Chamberlain.

 

Does anybody know anything about the hallmarks on the back of this thing?

They say: [J.C] [Lion Passant] [Leopard's Head] [D]

J.C. is the maker's mark, but there's no record of who this is.

Lion Passant is sterling silver.
Leopard's Head is London.
D is the date-letter for 1939.

Does anybody know who would've made this badge and what their history was?

 

Does the mark actually include the periods after each letter?

 

Have you seen the J.C mark on this site that mentions it being found on an ARP badge?

http://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Makers/London-JC-JF.html#JC

If they don't know who it was (and they don't), I don't know any better site to use.

 

I saw that, yeah. I was hoping someone else might know, in case the info there was out of date or whatever.

 

On the hallmarked silver ARP badges J.C = Jacques Cartier (Yes! that Cartier) and R.J = Robert William Jay. The rest of the marks should be self explanatory. Apparently the ones marked with date stamp E for 1940 are the scarcest. I would imagine that it was only Cartier who issued the E hallmarked badges as I believe Robert William Jay issued them in 1936 only.

 

I've compared the hallmarks. It's not Jacques Cartier.

 

Any reason why the pictures are Xed out.....at least on my computer?????

 

Because the thread is so old, Aquitaine.

 

I can post new pictures if anyone wants them.

 

I recently got hold of a file from the National Archives which detailed that 'J.C.' was in fact a Royal Mint mark. I then emailed the Goldsmiths' library in London and they sent through the details of the mark being registered to a certain John Herbert McCutcheon Craig (first and last initial 'J.C.'). He was the Deputy Master and Comptroller of the Royal Mint from 1938.

On the silver ARP badges that were manufactured in 1936 and 1937 the hallmark is 'R.J.' which was for Sir Robert Arthur Johnson the former Deputy Master and Comptroller of the Royal Mint who died in January 1938.

 

not a bad addition to a 4 year old thread !!!!
Thanks Mr. Smith !!

 

Fantastic post! Thanks Craig!

 

Welcome to Antiquers, @Craig Smith !