United Kingdom. An 18Th (The Royal Irish) Regiment Of Foot Helmet Plate, C.1885

Two-piece construction, central disk in bronze and voided, illustrating a harp with the inscription "ROYAL IRISH" above and crossed by branches of laurel leaves below, the disk mounted to a base in die-stamped bronze and secured in place by three u-shaped lugs, surmounted by the Victorian crown, measuring 104 mm (w) x 130.5 mm (h), one of two u-shaped lugs intact, the other having been lost to time, near extremely fine.

Footnote: The Royal Irish Regiment, until 1881 the 18th Regiment of Foot, was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1684. Also known as the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot and the 18th (The Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot, it was one of eight Irish regiments raised largely in Ireland, its home depot in Clonmel. It saw service for two and a half centuries before being disbanded with the Partition of Ireland following establishment of the independent Irish Free State in 1922 when the five regiments that had their traditional recruiting grounds in the counties of the new state were disbanded.