This field covers, in the main, headdress badges of many different parts of the world, but also includes cross-belt plates, etc. An interesting example is the parallel existence of regimental badges for the British and Austrian armies, fighting on opposing sides in WW1, something unique to these two countries. Good reference books include: Kipling & King's two volumes on headdress badges of the British Army; John Gaylor's book on cap badges of the British Army; Ashok Nath's book, Izzat: Historical Records and Iconography of Indian Cavalry Regiments 1750-2007 (published 2009 by the Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research United Service Institution of India), a superb rendering of this extremely complex subject, beautifully illustrated. Ashok Nath's website is at: http://sites.google.com/site/anath53/home

The Royal Engineers were responsible for bridge/road building, mine fields, their laying and clearance, etc. These brooches would have been worn by women on their handbags and lapels to commemorate the service of their men in the field, a tradition which started in the Boer War.

This is typical of what the Danish officers would have worn at the time of the war with Austria and Prussia in 1864 when these two attacked Denmark to secure Schleswig-Holstein to their respective countries. Denmark put up a very good fight considering that the odds were so unequal, but in the end had to yield.

I think this is a badge (13.5 x 9.5cm) off an undress sabretache, ie plain leather, possibly at the time of Johann, King of Saxony (hence JR), 1854-73. It may be an unfinished piece, inasmuch as there are no fixing points on the reverse. It would appear to be a cast bronze, hand finished badge.

This is a particularly fine die-struck gilt badge (4 x 4.5cm), possibly fire gilt (as opposed to electro-gilt), with the coat of arms of Dubin in the centre, backed by the sword and scales of justice and a civic mace, topped by the burgher's crown. A court official (eg the Tipstaff of the Court) would have worn this.

This is clearly a European made badge (8cm tip of spear to bottom); in view of the provenance (see below), almost certainly by Gaunt's of London. The crossed rifles would appear to represent a pair of Martini-Henrys, so it's no surprise that, if they were buying Martinis from the British, their military badges were being made in London as well.

Clearly European made, this badge (8cm tip of spear to bottom) is almost certainly by Gaunt's of London, in view of the provenance (see below). The crossed rifles would appear to represent a pair of Martini-Henrys, so it's no surprise that, if they were buying Martinis from the British, their military badges were being made in London as well.

This badge could be French or Dutch/Boer, because of the design, but there's an outside chance that it could be a US piece from the Civil War. These badges were worn on the breast of the horse in an arrangement which helped keep the saddle in place. The crossed cannons and the flaming bomb denote artillery usage.

This has to be one of the rarest of the 2nd Empire military fire brigade badges, being the helmet plate for the navy branch. The helmet was a magnificent looking creation in brass with a high comb and fancy chin scales. This would have been worn on the front of the helmet, above the peak and below the crest.

This is the badge (5.5cm across) introduced in 1882 and worn untill the abdication of the Tsar in 1917 in all line infantry and rifle regiments on a low crowned lambswool kiver. The other ranks version would have been a more robust product in die-struck gilding metal; this has a gilt finish.

This would have been mounted on a bright metal cuirassier pattern helmet, modelled on a Prussian example. They were in use with the Swedish army from about 1860. This particular example (about 11 x 11cm) has a nice fire gilt finish and would appear to be a cast, as opposed to die-struck, production.