Material: White metal
Dimensions: 60 mm width × 80 mm height
Description: This large 60mm by 80mm die-struck Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders insignia features a central voided circle inscribed with the regiment's name in prominent raised lettering. Suspended in the direct center is the stylized, intertwined, and mirrored cipher "L" belonging to Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll. The monogram is flanked by a traditional Scottish Campbell boar's head on the left and a Sutherland "cat-a-mountain" (wild cat) on the right, positioned under a finely detailed ducal coronet. The entire central band is enveloped by a sweeping, heavily tiered wreath of wild highland thistles that terminates in an impressive three-leaf apex at the top. The front face shows excellent crisp relief with a gentle, age-darkened silver or white-metal patina highlighting the recessed valleys of the thistle bulbs.
Reverse: The reverse surfaces show mirror-reversed lettering and heraldic details from the front face, completely devoid of formal manufacturer trademarks or silver hallmarks. Two heavy copper loop fasteners are hand-soldered horizontally onto the outer frame edges, currently securing a long, heavy-gauge brass split cotter pin across the width of the insignia. The metal surfaces are blanketed in an untouched, historically honest patina characterized by a dark silver-grey coating, and vivid turquoise verdigris spotting nestled deep within the recesses of the thistle wreath.
Circa: 1910–1920s
Notes:
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) was created as an elite line infantry regiment of the British Army, famously formed by merging two historic Highland units. One of its most famous components, the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders, earned immortal fame at the Battle of Balaclava in 1854 during the Crimean War. Standing alone against a massive Russian cavalry charge, they formed a resolute defensive line just two ranks deep instead of the standard four-deep infantry square. Described by war correspondents as a "thin red streak topped with a line of steel," this action birthed the legendary phrase "The Thin Red Line," cementing the regiment's reputation for stubborn, unwavering defense under extreme pressure.