Regarding the regiment, the Grenadiers had a very specific gorget with multiple pierce work on both wings, the Scots Guards normally had '3rd Guards' engraved on both sides at the tips, therefore, by elimination, this is almost certainly a Coldstream Guards example. The Dighton watercolours of the period appear to confirm this.
There is a common understanding that Coldstream Guards gorgets of this era normally have a double step edge. However, I would argue, from an illustration in a 1971 Eliot & Snowdon catalogue, that in fact earlier examples were simply a modified version of the 1796 pattern line regiment gorget, ie with the silver arms imposed on a gilt plate as opposed to a GR and crown engraved, ie with a single step edge.
The arms are in cast silver (no hallmarks) and secured to the plate by four bolts with matching nuts. The nuts and bolts may be modern replacements, since the arms are normally fixed by steel pins. The gilding on the plate is recent electroplate, as evidenced by the gilt finish to the reverse, which would normally have no gilding, but instead a dark chocolate patinated finish - the original gilding was applied by mercury/gold amalgam firing to the front only. The colour of the gilt finish is, however, quite correct.
Provenance: This comes from the collection of the late David Horne, ex-curator, Foot Guards Museum, London.
If you want to comment on this item—re quality, age, etc—please email me.
[Militaria : Badges : British : 19th Century]
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