# British Legion pin?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-legion-pin/77861>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 24, 2001, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-legion-pin/77861 "2001-08-24T05:17:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-legion-pin/77861/1 "2001-08-24T05:17:08Z")

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I bought [this](http://www.geocities.com/rimtark/BritishLegion) recently for next to nix here in NZ. It might have something to do with the existing Royal British Legion, but their logo’s a poppy, it seems, not a lion. At least, not anymore.

Any dopers out there into militaria or pin collecting or whatever? Can anyone tell me what this is, exactly? I don’t care about value – just curious.

And yes, I’ve checked Google. I need experts, now.

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**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-legion-pin/77861/2 "2001-08-24T05:41:15Z")

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You don’t want to know. The owner of that pin has always had bad luck. I suggest you get rid of it on eBay.

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-legion-pin/77861/3 "2001-08-24T05:44:21Z")

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Don’t kid about such things to someone with Irish/Scots blood, **kniz**. But thanks anyway for the reply. I think.

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**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-legion-pin/77861/4 "2001-08-24T06:05:20Z")

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G’day Wolf. I thought I’d dazzle you with my web searching brillince on this one, but I came up with bugger all. However, if you go to [http://www.medal.net](http://www.medal.net), you’ll find a link to some Auckland and NZ war graves and memorial stuff which might suit your historical bent.

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-legion-pin/77861/5 "2001-08-24T09:41:42Z")

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Thanks, **TLD**. Damn good try, but I don’t think it’ll float. Anyways – there’s always the option of a trip to the RSA.

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**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-legion-pin/77861/6 "2001-08-24T13:36:43Z")

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**Ice Wolf** , you’ve got a British Legion member’s lapel badge, proably dating from the 1930s or so. The back is designed to fit through the buttonhole of a man’s suit.

There were dozens of ex-servicemen’s organizations that sprang up in the 1920s, in the UK, in Canada, and, I suspect in all the combatant countries. One of my favourites was MOTH: the Memorable Order of Tin Hats, a British outfit for front-line vets which used Bairnsfather’s “Ole Bill” character as their mascot. Many of the smaller vets groups banded together in the later 1920s, in order to increase their political clout, hence the name “Legion.”

Having collected military badges, etc., for nearly 30 years, I have seen some very attractive enamel pins for these various small groups (Canadian Civil Servants War Vets, RCMP War Vets), but the most interesting are those for individual military units or formations (generally little sterling silver or gold versions of the cap badge).

To round off in true Road Show style, what is it worth? Well, the remembrance of lost comrades, camraderie and tradition of service that the pin represents is its greatest value. They are fairly common, and generally fetch about $5-8 US.

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**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-legion-pin/77861/7 "2001-08-24T16:02:25Z")

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[“Sweetheart” pin](http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1180227149) from WWI Canadian army unit;

[“Sweetheart” pin](http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1181411423) from US Army Coast Artillery;

[Black Watch Association pin](http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1181361882);

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-legion-pin/77861/8 "2001-08-24T18:05:30Z")

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**Rodd Hill** , you are wonderful! Thanks for the reply, it tells me enough for now. I _was_ wondering about the badge’s age.

Cool, absolutely cool.