According to what I was told, the owner served during WWII and was an M.P. guarding captured German soldiers in the states during the war. The badge measures 2 5/16 inches tall and 1 1/2 inches wide. No makers marks. The only thing I don't like about it, it's non-descript. Other than this, I believe it's a nice early war version. Any opinions? Thanks.

​To me it looks like generic MP badge. Without paperwork or a photo of him wearing the badge at the POW camp it would be hard to say. Either way I like it.It is an older badge with drop in catch.

Firefighter,

 

I realize I bought a badge (I have a weakness for them) and I did not by a story. I'm only going by families reminiscing. The drop catch is an early design. Do you know the history of the drop catch? I'd like to know more about it. This was the first badge I have purchased with this type of catch. I got an awesome USMC badge I think you'd like to see. I'll get that posted soon. I appreciate your response.

Firefighter,I realize I bought a badge (I have a weakness for them) and I did not by a story. I'm only going by families reminiscing. The drop catch is an early design. Do you know the history of the drop catch? I'd like to know more about it. This was the first badge I have purchased with this type of catch. I got an awesome USMC badge I think you'd like to see. I'll get that posted soon. I appreciate your response.

I am not an expert, but I think the drop catch was mainly used from the 20s-maybe early 50s.

Nice badge which my guess was purchased from a sort of traveling salesman who carried generic blank badges which he would stamp the name of the law enforcement agency on the spot after taking an order. Now you do have to watch out for unscrupulous sellers who have in the past purchased the remaining inventory of a badge business going out of business and used the blank badges to make up badges. However I like the patina on the back of your badge and my guess is that this is an original WW2 piece. This catch among badge collectors is called a sideswing catch or fork catch and was used on badges from the early to mid 1900s. In the 1950s most badge companies switch to something called a Burgess catch.

Hey that is a great looking badge. The patina, style, and pin all look legit for the 40s or 50s. I collect civilian police badges aside from militaria, and I'm not expert in MP badges, but I do know that there are a lot of MP badges circulating around from before the standard US Army MP badge was adopted in the 1970s. Seems like a largely overlooked area in the collecting field. Only thing is, I almost never see period pictures of these badges actually being worn on uniforms. Anyone have anything to add on this?

Nice badge which my guess was purchased from a sort of traveling salesman who carried generic blank badges which he would stamp the name of the law enforcement agency on the spot after taking an order. Now you do have to watch out for unscrupulous sellers who have in the past purchased the remaining inventory of a badge business going out of business and used the blank badges to make up badges. However I like the patina on the back of your badge and my guess is that this is an original WW2 piece. This catch among badge collectors is called a sideswing catch or fork catch and was used on badges from the early to mid 1900s. In the 1950s most badge companies switch to something called a Burgess catch.

+1

 

Tono is right. It's a nice old period piece and hand stamped. The sales person would stamp on it whatever it needed to be marked with or supposed to say.

 

Don't sweat it not being marked. Many were not.

 

It is also possible that he had the badge made for himself too, tough to say. Perhaps he bought it from a salesman or at a store and had it marked to his request. I guess we will never know.

 

Great old piece!