subject: The Colourful History Of Badges [print this page] When a person thinks about a badge, the first thing that comes into mind is a steely looking button that has a design that can represent a powerful organization, or a symbol of authority. Although badges may seem like they are not used often nowadays, I dare to vouch that this is not the case. The process to design your own badge is not as tedious as it seems, and there are countless ways of which you can come up with one in a matter of minutes, hours or even days, depending on how particular you are!
A fact that is not known to many would be that a badge was common as a jewellery piece during the Middle Ages, and its value varied from pricey pieces such as the famous Dunstable Swan Jewel, to day-to-day badges that were used by sheriffs and police alike. There are also badges which are used in the military stance, and these are made such that one will be able to differentiate one rank of an official from another by looking at the design of the badge. You could of course design your own badge to commemorate the rock bands or groups which you are a fan of, and these are mostly collectibles which are personalised items and are valued by their owners. There is yet another type of badge which is used as a mark of valour towards a person who has made a significant contribution to his or her country, and is awarded with a badge as a mark of his or her brave deed. The final badge type is the one which is most commonly used today in schools across Europe and around the world, and makes part of a students uniform or blazer. It could be used also to reflect the membership to a Red Cross Society, or any other public organization.
Badges have been around in the commercial market for quite awhile now, and are a favourite collectible item. The most notable badge one could have would have to be the Blue Peter Badge of the BBC programme Blue Peter; it is almost near impossible to find these days as they cannot be purchased, with the exception from someone who has been awarded the badge and wishes to sell it off. You could, of course, design your own badge with a similar pattern by making use of one of the many personalised badges shops and online websites to get one of your own if you choose.
