Description
Companion of the Order of the Bath, C.B. Civil Division Breast Badge, hallmarked 18ct 1855, an extremely rare surviving 1st Type, only issued for the first 10 years.
Breast Badge in gold, suspended by the detachable swivelling ring, 58mm wide straight bar suspension.
Hallmarked by maker Robert Garrard “RG” and 18 Fineness mark for 18 Carat Gold.
Assay marks date it to 1855 production in London.
When the Civil Division of the Order was founded in 1847, for about the first 10 years of issue, the badges were issued with the old style ultra wide gold swivelling suspension.
At the time anyone awarded a Badge of the Bath had at best a Waterloo Medal to wear with it, but after Crimea and the Indian Mutiny, with all the new medals being earned General Grey wrote to Woods on Behalf of Prince Albert:
“His Royal Highness thinks that the C.B. Riband as well as that of the KCB may be advantageously narrowed – particularly that of the former now that there are so many war medals to be worn with it – the breadth of the Former CB Riband would be wide enough for the KCB, HRH would wish you to send patterns of the narrower Ribands accordingly.”
