Material: White metal (nickel-plated brass or alloy)
Size: 11mm w × 20mm h
Description: This white metal badge takes the form of a serif numeral "3," cast in a durable nickel-silver alloy. The face is polished smooth, offering a high contrast against dark wool uniforms, while the reverse is fitted with dual copper loop lugs (or "eyes") for attachment. Unlike the more common brass numerals used by regular infantry regiments, this white metal variety was typically reserved for specific volunteer corps, county police forces, or Rifle regiments to indicate a company or battalion number on the shoulder strap or collar.
Reverse: Dual lugs; unmarked
Circa: 20th Century
Notes:
Single numerals are often "context-dependent" collectibles. In a military context, they were frequently worn above a shoulder title to denote a specific battalion (e.g., 3rd Battalion) or on their own to mark a Company. However, white metal numerals of this specific size (approx. 3/4 inch) were also standard issue for British police constables to display their divisional number on their tunic collars. The presence of copper loop lugs rather than a slider typically points to an earlier manufacture date, likely pre-WWII.