I was mooching through the gallery & perusing some of the badges. I came across the Port Stanley Hospital Falkland Island, I think that's the correct title, & it depicts a penguin. It states something along the lines of 'is this the rarest badge?'
My question is this, what is the rarest badge?
I'm sure it's probably the one no one has or the one that has not yet been seen. I know I have 1or 2 that I've not seen in the galleries but that doesn't mean they are rare, you may have them in your collection, hidden in a cupboard & not photographed for display. Is the hospital badge numbered 1, or the GNC badge belonging to the first person on the Register, Registered Male Nurse Scotland badge, Netley Hospital badge, The recent gold Blackpool Medal sold on an auction site are all possibilities.
Mike
Interesting question, but probably no single answer.If we are talking rarity I would say it is likely to be a single item such as the Nightingale Jewel which was awarded by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to Florence Nightingale for her services in the Crimean War( http://www.nam.ac.uk/exhibitions/online-exhibitions/florence-nightingale )
Limited awards of Merit such as the RCN Fellowship badges haven't been issued to that many people,I'll try and check.
Gold Prize medals were usually only awarded to one out of a particular training set but don't forget some schools had several sets a year and may have been awarded for many years.I have seen one image of a Glasgow Gold Belvidare Fever Hospital badge and I can't think too many of those were issued? I have a Lowestoft gold medal which I've managed to find was the first issued in 1939 and then wasn't always awarded every year up until the early 60s,so probably one of less than 20?
Badges such as the Maidstone Typhoid and Isle of Wight Plague medals were only issued for the specific event and I think the IoW was in single figures?
THe title is The King Edward Memorial Hospital, Port Stanley, Falkland Islands.
However badges such as my R.N.H./S.R.N., Netley Hospital R.M.N. and St. Helena badges are fairly rare along with my Visiting Card stand for Florence Nightingale and a Hong Kong Plague medal.
Talking about rare RCN badges, am I missing something here - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261302838492?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_sacat%3D0%26_from%3DR40%26_nkw%3D261302838492%26_rdc%3D1 Although relatively speaking not a lot but that seems a high price.
Mick
Difficult to see it but it does look a bit different at top of centre, like rays coming from sun.
As this is a currently issued badge to HCA members of the RCN who have been in membership for 5 months or more,then yes it is a silly price.Almost worth them joining up to sell their badges!
What's the betting that we see a flood of similar items come up soon?
I admit it was me, but not for me, a colleague, HCA, is buying it, no ebay account!
Mike
Aren't they available from the RCN?
Mick