Hatter Donald K. Stewart discovered what he believes to be a historic RCMP badge by chance, and quite possibly by fate, as at the time of the discovery, Stewart was already an avid badge collector.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat resident Donald K. Stewart believes he may be in possession of an RCMP badge that is as old as the service itself, which just passed its 150th anniversary.
Stewart stumbled upon the badge in the mid-1970s while out for a walk with his son in the hills that stretch between Medalta, Veinerville and the South Saskatchewan River.
“We came to the top of the hill and that’s where I found it,” Stewart told the News. “I just happened to be walking and I kicked something, and it showed up just partly … There was a piece of it sticking out (from the ground) and I’d seen it was a little bit shiny and I wondered what it was.”
When he unearthed the badge, Stewart says it was quite dirty, but he could see right away it was lost relic of time.
Stewart took the badge home and cleaned it up, and upon doing a bit of research came to the conclusion it could be one of the earliest RCMP badges manufactured.
“This is the badge they were given 150 years ago,” said Stewart. “The ones that they have now are a lot different.”
Roughly 1.5 inches in height and one inch in width, the badge is silver in colour, with the stamp of English manufacturer J.R. Gaunt and Son on its back. Its front is inscribed with the words ‘North West Mounted Police,’ alongside the RCMP’s motto ‘Maintien Le Droit’ or ‘Uphold the Right.’
Interesting to note is the absence of the letter ‘s’ from the word ‘Maintien’ as the service’s current motto is ‘Maintiens Le Droit.’ The motto was changed to include the ‘s’ in 1904 when a French-speaking officer pointed out the correct conjugation of the word would end in ‘s.’
Also interesting to note is the badge Stewart found perfectly matches the first official description of the service’s badge, published in an 1890 Order to Council, which reads: “a maple wreath with a ribbon bearing the word “Canada” surmounted by a crown above; and the words “North West Mounted Police” below; within the wreath an oval bearing the words “Maintien Le Droit”, encircling a buffalo head in silver.”
Stewart has never had the badge officially appraised for date or value, but he believes it to be quite a rare find, especially considering it is in rather good condition.
“I’m a collector of badges (but) I’m the only guy that I know that has one,” he said.
Indeed, his discovery seems one of fate, as Stewart had been a collector of historic law enforcement and military badges even before finding the RCMP badge.
Even if the badge was confirmed valuable, Stewart doubts he’d sell it as it has made a home in his extensive collection, alongside a matching RCMP lapel pin he has since acquired, albeit by far less serendipitous means.
Instead, Stewart plans to hang onto the badge, as he enjoys sharing its unique story with others and pondering the mystery of how it came to lay where he found it.
