British Commonwealth & Colonial Uniform Insignia

Explore a wide-ranging selection of original British Commonwealth and former colonial uniform insignia, spanning the armies, police forces, volunteer units, cadet corps, and administrative services of the British Empire and Commonwealth nations. The collection includes collar badges, shoulder titles, cloth formation signs, rank insignia, buttons, and specialist unit emblems from territories across Africa, India, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and the Far East. Cap badges can be found in our dedicated collection.

Many pieces reflect the transition from imperial administration to independent national service, covering colonial defence forces, locally raised regiments, wartime formations, and post-war Commonwealth military development. Items range from Victorian and Edwardian era insignia through to mid and late 20th century examples, with a mixture of scarce locally manufactured badges, British-made export patterns, and theatre-made insignia.

The collection is particularly suited to researchers and collectors interested in imperial military history, colonial policing, overseas volunteer forces, and the evolution of Commonwealth uniforms and insignia design. Construction methods, maker marks, attachment styles, and regional variations are carefully noted where relevant to assist with identification and authenticity assessment. More on construction methods can be found in our blog.