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Nice Ackworth Support Group Badge for sale on E-Bay. This is one of the rare 25's.
I already have one, so bid on McDuff!!

I am still looking for Rarer miners enamel strike and anniversary badges and collections to buy. If you have any, please e-mail below.

Charles

If you had to list the rarest three of all the 84/85 strike badges made what would they be and in what order of rarity would you put them in?

Thanks

Mark

Hi Mark,
The list changes as badges come out of the woodwork.
I would have classed the Ackworth in the list, but in the last year three have appeared for sale!!
Everyone says the Emley Moor is the one, but I was able to get two!!
I have seen various of the rare 25's for sale at various times, but I have never seen these for sale ever yet (they may be around and come up for sale or swop eventually, but we will see)

Daw Mill 200 Issued but few seen
Wistow. 100 issued, but few seen
Coalville. 50 issued, only 3 seen over the years
Kirkconnel. 29 issued. Few seeen.
Kirklees. Limited. Few seen.
Tonypandy. Little known of this badge. Few seen.
Bradford. rare, few known.
Rosewell. Limited. Few seen.
Haig Branch. 200 issued. Few seen
North Western/Parkside. Not many Collectors seen this one.
Bold Wives copper. Limited issue.
Mansfield 55 green. 55 issued to men arrested for riot in Mansfield. Rarely seen.

Difficult to say which are the rarest, I suppose I would pick in order of rareness

Kirkconnel. 29 issued. Few seeen.
Tonypandy. Little known of this badge. Few seen.
Rosewell. Limited. Few seen.

But others may disagree. Brian Witts is probably the best authority on enamel strike badges to ask for an opinion.

Charles

The top Man on authority of badges is Brian Witts, he did extensive research on NUM Strike Badges with the help of the top known collectors of the time. His work was published in his book - Enamel Badges of the National Union of Mineworkers, which is excellent and will answer all your questions where the knowledge was available.
You can get a copy from Brian around £30-40, well worth the price, but be quick because "when they are gone - they are gone". Google it and you will find contact details.
But if you are a Mulliner alias, kindly go away and leave us to our genuine and honest collecting.

Brians book brought NUM enamel badge collecting into the present and encouraged a lot of new collectors. Lots of information and colour pictures of the badges concerned. An easy and excellent reference to collect against.

I did not collect badges to start with as they did not have the long historical connection with mining, the same as the old embossed checks have. However when I started, it was just because I had accumulated some badges with check collections bought. But when Brians book came out, it inspired me to collect them as an important part of history in their own right.

I recommend Brians book and collecting NUM enamel badges to all mining collectors.

If you buy the book you will be able to read how this was achieved.

The Ackworth only raised £183 on e-bay. A very low price for a rare 25 badge. I have only ever seen three, that one and the two I have, so someone got a good buy!
There are very few badges coming up for sale recently, especially rarer ones, so I thought prices would remain firm. So now is the time to start collecting badges whilst prices are low!!