A pair of silver or nickel plated Queen's Crown police rank insignia c1952 - 1970
Name/Title
A pair of silver or nickel plated Queen's Crown police rank insignia c1952-1970
Entry/Object ID
2341
Description
A pair of silver or nickel plated Queen's Crown rank insignia, each with red enamel metal inserts.
Use
For use on police uniform to determine rank
Context
The British police followed the example of the military and use crowns to designate rank. Though there have been some changes over the years, the standard insignia for a superintendent is a crown and that for a chief superintendent, a crown and a Bath Star. A crown is also used on the insignia for a chief constable along with crossed tip staves within a laurel wreath.
The use of the Queen's Crown dates these from 1952 and comparison of these to later chrome plated examples suggests they probably date from between then and the 1960s. Chrome plated crowns are still used on dress tunics and in the past were used on shirt epaulettes in Sussex Police until they were replaced by embroidered versions, in the mid 1990s.
These were collected by a ex superintendent who served in East Sussex Constabulary and Sussex Constabulary/Sussex Police and could have been used in any of these forces, though it is more likely they date from the East Sussex or Sussex Constabulary periods, especially if they are silver plated.
