Terminology:
Parts badge - a parts badge is a badge made from parts and blanks of badge companies who have sold out, gone broke and had their badge making equipment and supplies sold at auction. These badges are generally poor quality and unplated.
Fantasy badge - a badge who's design or jurisdiction is the fantasy of the maker. Commonly a town that never had any form of it's own law enforcement because it was patrolled by the county sheriff. An example is City Marshal of French Camp, CA.
Little Old Man Badge - in the 1960's the Los Angeles Stamp and Stationary Company went out of business and it's equipment was auctioned off. Some of the equipment was bought, including badge parts by A.B.C. Jones in Torrence, CA. A nice old guy that I met and he made badges from the parts as reproductions. Thousands of these badges were made and re-sold as the authentic badges. I see them all the time on internet auction sites.
This fake parts badge has had chemical patina added and is hallmarked L.A. Stamp & Stat. Co.
This commonly seen reproduction known as a Hurley badge was first made in Taiwan in the 1970's. The company reproducing the badge was supplied a photograph of the real badge and never saw the original. A retired police inspector sent the photo and ordered copies. The company hired to reproduce the badge could not tell if the badge had raised design or hand engraving. They guessed wrong and made the badge with raised design. The retired inspector who I met at a gun show said he got quite a laugh when the badges arrived from Taiwan. The badge has since been reproduced by others in sterling silver and pewter.
Another commonly seen Taiwan reproduction with a cheap bar pin.
Reproduction San Francisco Police badge #672 with fake hallmark and sterling stamp on back.
