Helmet plate?

[bananamafia]

Hi guys received this recently, bought online in a joblot and from the pictures i thought it could have been a victorian helmet plate, but having recieved it, and wondering what it actually is, as all the examples i have seen have lugs, this has two small square holes?

could anyone help me out?
kind regards
Ed

measures approx 9.5 x 8.5cm

[Watchdog]

Hi Ed,

I must admit that helmet plates are out of my comfort zone but if it helps this one doesn't look great to me.

Firstly I think those holes may be nail holes! They certainly look punched.

I think this might be some sort of a decoration from a door etc.

The nearest thing I can think of to this is the Victorian (because of the crown) Sun Helmet but I think OR's didn't have a plate on this and this is certainly not an officers badge which would be gilt.




Also I don't recall seeing such a shape of the central lozenge ie diamond rather than shield shaped.
I am not getting a good feeling about the quality of the strike either. During the Victorian period I think even OR's badges were much more crisp (I mean on the reverse because the obverse is subject to wear). The brass looks a funny colour too when compared to period pieces that have patinated naturally. Lastly there is nothing like this badge in Kipling & King which is where I always run if I am just not sure.

I hope to be proved wrong by someone who specialises in such items but as I say at the moment I don't like it.

I hope this might provoke comment from those with greater knowledge.

Regards

Mark

[bananamafia]

thanks mark, when i bought it is was from an auction online, part of a "job lot" of badges buttons etc and i could only see part of it.
I thought it may have stood a chance.
I think you may be on the right track with it being from a door or attached to something, a great pointer. thankyou

And yes the diamond instead of a shield has me baffled too. can't find anything similar online.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Fire insurance plaque?????

[Wagriff]

An interesting plaque, but a shame it was crudely nailed to "something"...

[big ned]

Fire insurance plaque?????

It seems like it might be off a fire resistant safe. These were made locally to me by firms such as Chubb, Josiah Parkes, Union Locks and H & T Vauhgan to name but a few. The "Black Country" as this area of the Midlands is called was once the world centre for lock and safe making. Indeed, the town of Willenhall is known locally as "Humpshire" after the locksmiths who were supposedly round shouldered or hunchbacked from bending over work benches filing the lock parts.



Regards, Ned.

[TrondK]

I really like these old safes. Everything was made with pride in the "old" days. No IKEA back then

[bananamafia]

It seems like it might be off a fire resistant safe.

Regards, Ned.

Thanks Ned, you are a star, just the right pointer, looks very similar (fixing holes) to this one:

ORIGINAL VERY RARE ANTIQUE PRESSED BRASS ROYAL CREST SAFE PLATE DATING 1880's | eBay

ORIGINAL VERY RARE ANTIQUE PRESSED BRASS ROYAL CREST SAFE PLATE DATING 1880's