My focus in badge collecting has always been New Jersey. These badge are from across the mighty Delaware River in Philadelphia. They were given to me about 30 years ago. The gift factor makes them special so they are included in my Jersey collection.
There are nine items in total in this collection. Pictured here is the entire display, and three badges that I have placed in the center. I believe these are police hat badges, however they could have been used elsewhere.
I believe these items are all from the late 1800's or early 1900's. They belonged to the grandfather of the person who gifted them to me. The best estimate, at the time I acquired them, was that they were circa 1900.
The first and third badge picture are of two hat badges. While the number "3314" is by itself it could be a separate attachment to go with the hat badges with no number attached. The bottom hat badge appears to be newer and incorporates the number on bottom panel.
The all seem to be in quite good condition for their age. The lettering, on the bottom item, is very good and clear. It reads: "Philadelphia Maneto". This means Brotherly Love, for which Philadelphia is known.
I'll talk about the other items in this collection in my next post. For now these guys will return to their case and get locked up nice and tight for the night.
