Hampshire Local Militia (?), a very fine and rare officer’s silver oval shoulder belt plate the obverse with engraved St Edward’s crown over a shield bearing a Tudor rose, the reverse with one hook and two studs and the hall-marks for London 1808 maker’s mark ‘RT’, very fine condition £700-900

The use of the Rose at this time could apply to virtually any English County, but the most frequently encountered are items pertaining to Lancashire Yorkshire Derbyshire Northamptonshire Hampshire and Cornwall. The 1808 hall-marks suggest Local Militia being the year of their inauguration but a Volunteer Infantry unit cannot be ruled out. The plates for the West Riding of Yorkshire and Lancashire are all known, plus some of the Derbyshire and Northamptonshire ones, also the North and East Ridings of Yorkshire. However no plate to either of of Hampshire units has been identified and the London hall-marks further suggest that county.