Victorian 60th (King’s Royal Rifle Corps) (KRRC) Regiment of Foot Officers’ Helmet Plate

60th King’s Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) Officers’ silver-plated helmet plate, later converted for wear as a pugri badge, a distinctive example of British Army light infantry insignia. This badge is associated with the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, one of the army’s historic rifle regiments, known for its specialised role in skirmishing and marksmanship.

The helmet plate features the regiment’s characteristic design in relief, often incorporating a Maltese cross motif with a central bugle horn device surmounted by Queen Victoria’s crown and surrounded by battle honours on the arms of the cross and a circlet bearing the regimental title “King’s Royal Rifle Corps”.

In this instance, the plate has been adapted for use as a pugri badge, indicating wear on foreign service helmets, where full helmet plates were sometimes modified to suit lighter or alternative headgear configurations.

The King’s Royal Rifle Corps, originally raised in the 18th century, served extensively across the British Empire and in major conflicts, including the Napoleonic Wars, the Victorian campaigns, and the First World War. Officers’ helmet plates of this type were worn as part of full dress or foreign service uniform, identifying regimental affiliation while reflecting the traditions of rifle regiments, which often differed in style from standard line infantry.