Napoleonic Shako Plates and Helmet Badges: A Collector’s Overview

Headdress of the Napoleonic Era

The Napoleonic period (roughly 1793–1815) saw British soldiers wearing a variety of distinctive headdress, each bearing metal badges or plates that identified the regiment. For collectors, these plates are among the most prized items of early military insignia — scarce, beautiful, and rich in regimental history.

Types of Headdress

The Stovepipe Shako (1800–1812)

The cylindrical “stovepipe” shako was adopted in 1800, replacing the cocked hat for infantry. Made of black felt over a leather body, it bore a brass plate on the front — typically a rectangular or shield-shaped badge with the regimental number, sometimes incorporating a crown, wreath, or other device.

Stovepipe shako plates are extremely rare — most surviving examples are in museum collections. When they do appear on the market, they command prices of £500 to several thousand pounds.

The Belgic Shako (1812–1816)

The “Belgic” or “false-fronted” shako introduced in 1812 had a distinctive flared top that made the wearer appear taller. It is the shako of Waterloo. The plate was typically a large brass or pressed-copper stamped plate bearing the royal cypher or regimental badge.

Belgic shako plates are highly sought after. A genuine identified example — particularly to a Waterloo regiment — is a significant find. Beware of reproductions: the Victorian-era enthusiasm for Waterloo memorabilia led to a brisk trade in commemorative copies.

The Regency Shako (1816–1829)

Post-Waterloo, the bell-topped shako was introduced with an even larger plate. These are more commonly encountered than Belgic examples, though still scarce. Plates typically feature the Star of the Order of the Bath or the regimental badge within a decorative frame.

Cavalry Helmets

Cavalry regiments wore a variety of helmets, from the classic brass dragoon helmet to the distinctive Tarleton helmet of light dragoons. Helmet plates on these were often large, ornate affairs — a heavy dragoon’s helmet plate might feature the royal arms, regimental title, battle honours, and complex gilt detailing.

Identification

Identifying Napoleonic-era plates requires knowledge of:

• Regimental numbers — Infantry regiments were numbered (1st Foot, 42nd Foot, etc.) until the Childers Reforms of 1881
• Royal cyphers — GR (George Rex) for George III and George IV
• Regimental devices — the Sphinx for regiments that served in Egypt (1801), specific badges like the castle (27th Foot) or the eagle (Royal Scots Greys)
• Construction — stamped from thin brass or copper, often with separate applied devices. Look for original pins, loops, and attachment hooks on the reverse.

Collecting Tips

• Provenance is paramount — an identified plate (to a named regiment and pattern of headdress) is exponentially more desirable than unidentified examples
• Condition varies — plates that survived active service, burial, and 200 years of storage will show wear. Ground-dug examples are common and lower-valued but still interesting
• Reference books are essential — Parkyn’s Shoulder-Belt Plates and Buttons and Kipling & King’s Head-Dress Badges of the British Army are the standard works
• Fakes exist — particularly for Waterloo-associated regiments. Modern reproductions are often too clean, too heavy, or have incorrect attachment methods
• Cross-reference — verify any claimed identification against known patterns in reference books and museum collections (the National Army Museum is an excellent resource)

Notable Plates

Among the most desirable Napoleonic-era plates are:

• Any Stovepipe or Belgic plate to a regiment present at Waterloo
• Plates to Scottish regiments (42nd, 79th, 92nd) — these have dedicated collector followings
• Light infantry plates with distinctive bugle-horn devices
• Rifle Regiment plates (95th Rifles) — the regiment of Sharpe fame
• Cavalry helmet plates — particularly heavy dragoon regiments

Evolution of the Shako

The shako evolved through several distinct patterns during the Napoleonic and post-Napoleonic era, each carrying its own plate design:

The Stovepipe Shako (1800-1812)

The first British military shako was the “stovepipe” pattern — a tall, cylindrical cap based on Austrian and Prussian models. The plate was a large, stamped brass rectangle or shaped piece bearing the royal cipher (GR for George III) or the regimental number within a wreath. Light infantry regiments often had distinctive horn-shaped plates with the regimental number in the centre.

The Belgic Shako (1812-1816)

The Belgic or “waterloo” shako, issued from 1812, had a distinctive false front that rose above the crown. Its plate was a simple crowned royal cipher or regimental device, often combined with honour scrolls for regiments that had earned battle distinctions. This is the shako most commonly depicted in paintings of the Battle of Waterloo.

The Bell-Top Shako (1816-1829)

Post-Waterloo, the army adopted the bell-topped shako with a wider, flared crown. Plates became more elaborate, incorporating laurel wreaths, Garter stars, and more detailed regimental devices. The increased plate size allowed more heraldic detail and created some of the most decorative military plates ever produced.

The Albert Shako (1844-1855)

Named after Prince Albert (who influenced its design), this pattern had a sloping front and carried a star-shaped plate. The Albert shako plate is typically a large eight-pointed star bearing the regimental number or device on a central boss, surrounded by military trophies and surmounted by a crown. These plates are among the most impressive Victorian military insignia.

Manufacture and Construction

Shako plates were manufactured using several techniques depending on the period and quality of the piece:

• Die-stamped brass — The standard method for other ranks’ plates. Sheet brass was pressed between hardened steel dies to create the raised design. The reverse shows a mirror-image depression of the front pattern.
• Cast brass or copper — Used for some early plates and volunteer patterns where die production costs were not justified by quantity.
• Silver or silver-plated — Officers’ plates were frequently silver or silver-on-copper, sometimes with gilt highlights. These were made by specialist military accoutrement makers in London.
• Copper with gilding — Fire-gilding (applying gold-mercury amalgam and driving off the mercury with heat) produced the richest gold finish on the finest officers’ plates.

Plates were attached to the shako body using split pins passed through the felt or leather and bent flat inside. Officers’ plates often had screw-back posts for more secure and adjustable mounting. The attachment method — split pins vs screws, the number and position of fixings — can help authenticate and date individual plates.

Collecting Shako Plates

Shako plates are among the most sought-after items in the militaria market. Their size, decorative quality, and direct connection to the Napoleonic era make them display pieces of real presence.

Condition Assessment

When evaluating a shako plate, consider:

• Gilding — original gilding on officers’ plates should show even wear consistent with age. Bright, uniform gold on a “period” plate may indicate re-gilding (which significantly reduces value to serious collectors).
• Bends and dents — plates worn in active service occasionally show impact damage. Some collectors value such “campaign” condition; others prefer unblemished examples. Minor bends are difficult to repair without leaving stress marks.
• Completeness — check that all fixing pins are original and that no elements have been re-soldered. Multi-part plates (with separately applied ciphers, wreaths, or crowns) sometimes lose components.
• Repairs — turn the plate over. Amateur solder repairs, filled holes, and replacement fixings are common and diminish value.

Market Overview

The market for shako plates varies enormously. Common infantry patterns from well-known regiments might sell for 200 to 500 pounds. Rare volunteer battalion plates, particularly from short-lived units or with unusual devices, can reach several thousand. Officers’ gilt plates from the Napoleonic period are genuine museum-quality items — where they appear at auction, competition is intense.

Major auction houses handling shako plates include Bosleys, Dix Noonan Webb, and Wallis and Wallis (now closed but with an extensive archive). The Military Historical Society provides a peer community for researchers, and their journal carries regular articles on headgear insignia.

Sources

• Parkyn, Major H.G. Shoulder-Belt Plates and Buttons. Gale and Polden, 1956.
• Carman, W.Y. British Military Uniforms from Contemporary Pictures. Leonard Hill, 1957.
• Litchfield, Frederick. Illustrated History of Furniture. Truslove and Shirley, 1893 (helmets and plates section).
• The Military Historical Society. Journal articles on headgear insignia.
• The National Army Museum. Headgear and insignia collections.

Volunteer and Militia Plates

Beyond the regular army, shako plates were also worn by the Militia, Yeomanry, and Volunteer forces. These plates can be among the most interesting and rarest in the collecting field, as volunteer units were often locally raised, short-lived, and produced plates in small quantities.

Volunteer Rifle Corps plates, dating from the Volunteer Movement of 1859 onwards, are particularly varied. Each corps designed its own plate, often incorporating local civic arms, county devices, or the arms of the colonel’s family. The sheer number of volunteer units — over 200 Rifle Volunteer Corps were formed in England alone — created an extraordinary variety of plates that keeps collectors engaged for decades.

Militia battalion plates are similarly varied. When the Cardwell and Childers reforms linked militia battalions to regular county regiments, new plates incorporating both the militia identity and the parent regiment’s device were required. These transitional plates, produced in relatively small numbers during the reform period, are among the scarcest Victorian military insignia.

Foreign and Allied Shako Plates

British-pattern shakos and plates were adopted across the Empire and by allied nations. Indian Army units, including the Bengal, Madras, and Bombay Presidency forces, wore shako plates that combined British regimental conventions with Indian motifs. Portuguese, Spanish, and some South American armies also adopted shako patterns influenced by British and French designs. These foreign plates occasionally appear in British collections — brought home as souvenirs by soldiers who served alongside allied contingents during the Peninsular War, the Crimean War, or colonial campaigns in India and Africa.

Research and Reference

Identifying and attributing shako plates requires access to specialist references. Parkyn’s work remains the foundation, but the Military Historical Society’s journal and the regimental and volunteer badge listings published by the Badge Collectors Circle provide invaluable supplementary detail. For militia and volunteer plates, local record offices and regimental museums often hold the most complete information — uniform regulations, plate pattern descriptions, and occasionally original specimens that can be directly compared with an unidentified piece.