Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

2nd Royal Veteran Battalion, an extremely rare and possibly unique officer’s 1816 pattern shako, the ‘beaver’ body fitted with broad sunken leather top and unbound stout leather top, broad gold lace band around the top of the body and a narrow gold lace band around the base, the fluted silver star shako plate overlaid with a crowned gilt laurel wreath, in the centre upon a ground of blue enamel, a gilt ‘2’ over ‘RVB’, above the plate a six layered black crepe cockade with central plain gilt conical ‘button’, plume of white over red cock’s feather plume, the very fine four sided gilt plume holder with oak spray decoration, large lion’s head side ornaments support 32 link chin scales, internal lining of finely quilted black cloth, some surface loss to the ‘beaver’ body, small chip to the blue enamel on the plate, gilt loss and wear to the lace bands, in all other respects a very fine period item £2200-2500

There were no less than four 2nd Royal Veteran Battalions, but the 1816 pattern shako reduces the choice to two, that of 1815-16 which was formed from the former 8th RVB and supplemented by six new companies, formed at Harwich in June 1815 and stationed there until disbandment 24 June 1816. Ten new RV Bns were formed in 1819 to cope with civil unrest, the 2nd being formed at Portsmouth under the Colonelcy of Major General William Douglas, stationed at Gosport and in Waterford from August 1820; the battalion was disbanded at Gosport 24 June 1821.