United Kingdom, South Africa. A Kaffrarian Rifles Helmet Plate With Queen's Crown, C.1910

In patinated bronze, voided, unmarked, measuring 63.5 mm (w) x 92 mm (h), all three lugs intact, a piece of red felt placed behind the voided area of the centrepiece, scattered patination and surface wear on the lion, near extremely fine.

Footnote: The Kaffrarian Rifles (now the Buffalo Volunteer Rifles) was formed in East London in 1876, as the "Buffalo Corps of Rifle Volunteers", for service in the 9th Frontier War. It disbanded in 1879. (East London is situated on the Buffalo River, hence the name). The unit was re-formed in July 1883 and was named after the region of Kaffraria, the nineteenth century name for the region around East London. There had previously been many other units from this region, from which the Regiment can also claim descent: Kaffrarian Volunteer Corps, Kaffrarian Mounted Rifles (Kaffrarian Rangers), Buffalo Volunteer Rifles Corps, Buffalo Volunteer Engineers, Kaffrarian Volunteer Artillery Corps, Berlin Mounted Volunteers, Cape Mounted Yeomanry (1st Regiment), Frontier Mounted Riflemen (Brabant's Horse), East London Volunteers (Von Linsignen's Buffalo Corps and later Walkers Horse). In 1913, it was embodied in the Citizen Force as the "5th Infantry (Kaffrarian Rifles)", but regained its old name in 1932. The unit was temporarily amalgamated with the First City regiment, as the "First City/The Kaffrarian Rifles" from 1954 to 1956. In order to keep pace with the changing political climate in South Africa, the regiment was renamed the "Buffalo Volunteer Rifles" in 1999. This Regiment and its predecessors took part in all of South Africa's armed conflicts, including the Bechuanaland Campaign (1897), the Second Boer War, the First World War (when it fought in the then German South-West Africa and most of its members went on to serve in East Africa and Europe), the Second World War (when it fought in the Western Desert during 1941-1943) as well as in South Africa's "Border War" during 1975 to 1986 (when it fought in South-West Africa, Angola and Zambia).