Veteran Army of the Philippines

[frederick]

Veteran Army of the Philippines

 

Eisenberg reports this group as existing from 1900 to 1904. With a concern for Philippine service veterans, it was a rival to the better organized Society Army of the Philippines. He believes it died due to lack of leadership and the group either merged or joined the Society group. Their triangular badge suspended from a Philippine bolo as a bar with a bamboo top pin bar was certainly unique. This badge is also found with a bar centered on the ribbon with the name of the member's camp.

[SARGE]

Frederick,

 

This is a particularly neat badge. Can you tell if it was US made or made in the Philippines?

[frederick]

Frederick,

 

This is a particularly neat badge. Can you tell if it was US made or made in the Philippines?

 

This badge, as well as many badges from the period, has no mfg mark. Although the style suggests Philippines, the style could have been a stateside design by knowledgable members. My best guess would be US mfg. There were many makers of badges at that time with reasonable prices. If the group formed while in the Philippines, a native mfg is possible on the earliest badges. There is just too little data on some of these smaller groups.

[SARGE]

The reason I asked was that badges and insignia made in the Philippines usually have excellent detail. Philippines made insignia are most often cast, in my experience, rather than being die struck but still have great detail. A nice badge, whoever made it.