Jump to content
Logging In to USMF has changed from using your USERNAME to requiring the EMAIL ADDRESS associated with your USMF account. Click to read more.

Balfour (L.G. Balfour)

WAHOOMAN

By WAHOOMAN,
in REFERENCE (Listed in Alphabetical Order)

 Share
stratasfan
Message added by stratasfan,

L.G. Balfour & Co. was founded in 1913, after Lloyd Garfield Balfour had spent several years as a salesman of fraternity jewelry. He disliked the poor quality he saw, and this led him to start his own company. Balfour would go on to supply high-quality fraternity and sorority jewelry across the country, as well as branching in to military insignia, high school and college rings, pins, commemorative jewelry, diplomas, yearbooks and more. At one point, Balfour held contracts with 90% of all National Fraternal Societies and manufactured 90% of all World Series Press Badges. 

 

During WWI, Balfour produced a variety of medals and insignia for the Armed Forces, and would continue to do so for decades.

 

In the 1960s, Balfour was charged by the FTC with monopoly charges and ultimately lost the case. From that time on, new contracts had to be issued, and the reign of Balfour as the main Fraternal jewelry provider ended. 

 

 

Exterior of Balfour & Co. in Attleboro, Mass., c. 1927 - 

 

Exterior 1927.png

 

Founder L.G. Balfour, c. 1927 - 

 

LG Balfour 1927.png

 

Jewelers department, c. 1927 -

 

Jewelers.png

Recommended Posts

  • 2 weeks later...
triplecanopy

triplecanopy

Posted
Posted

L.G. Balfour was a maker of U.S. Military Insignia, high school, college, and football championship rings, fraternity pins and jewelry from 1913 to 1996 according to several references. They were located in Attleboro, Massachusetts and used Institute of Heraldry hallmarks LGB during WWII and later after the war changed to 1B. Also listed is a later hallmark of B21, although I have never seen a B21 hallmark on a parachute badge. The parachute badges shown here were all made by Balfour. The WWII flat pin back is the oldest (upper left). It is marked LGB Sterling. Below it is a later hollow back badge also marked LGB Sterling. The senior clutch back parachutist badge is marked LGB Sterling and although I have not seen a Master Parachutist Badge made by Balfour, I suppose they did make some since they made the senior. If anyone has an example of master jump wings made by Balfour, please post it. I would speculate that the hollow back design was a cost saving measure to use less silver metal in production.

I would date the Senior Parachutist Badge as most likely made in the 1950’s. Below the senior are two basic wings. The bottom one is marked LGB Sterling and the one above it is marked BALFOUR Sterling 1B which is the later hallmark. Five of these wings have the distinctly different design found on some older parachute wings. NS Meyer also used this design for a while. The badge on the lower left is marked BALFOUR Sterling 1B, but is the official approved parachute wing design as originally submitted. I would offer that it is the most recent made of this group. Notice how the hallmark placement moved around over the years.

 

 

post-48217-0-08619000-1432407008.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 8 months later...
  • 1 year later...
Flightpath

Flightpath

Posted
Posted

Here are two Balfour USN wings with the 1-B mark, I think they were produced in the late 1950s to early 1960s..........

post-105780-0-63204600-1503427502_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 years later...
triplecanopy

triplecanopy

Posted
Posted

An update on Balfour (LGB) Parachute Jump Wings: Here is the master in the same style as the original LGB wings at top right. The master is hallmarked 1-B while the other jump wings are hallmarked LGB.

IMG_2289.jpeg

IMG_2290.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
triplecanopy

triplecanopy

Posted
Posted

Also of interest is a later Balfour 1-B master parachutist badge which is different in several ways. The master wreath and star are solid and are made as part of the badge and not attached later. It is all one piece. The master is also unlike the one on the left as it is the 'Yarborough' style of parachute badge or original design.  Both are beautiful well made badges.

IMG_2291.jpeg

IMG_2292.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
triplecanopy

triplecanopy

Posted
Posted

Lastly  I include these photos to speculate that there may be a senior parachute badge out there that was made by Balfour in the 'Yarborough' style. If you come across one, let me know.

 

 

IMG_2293.jpeg

IMG_2294.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...