Description
Beautiful, ornate gold badge, with three-part drop from pin-backed hanger bar engraved “First Light Infantry Regiment” in black enamel. A curved, horseshoe-shaped bar is suspended by two chains, and is engraved DEO FIDIMUS (Faith in God) under which hangs a small drum. Below hangs a 12-pointed cross with the date 1818 at bottom and intertwined enameled letters at the center. The gold is 10 karat. The First Light Infantry Company was formed in 1818 as a state militia company based in Providence, Rhode Island. It was affiliated with the Second Regiment of the Rhode Island Militia. It became the First Light Infantry Regiment in 1863 and many of its members served in the Civil War in Companies C and D of the First Regiment, Rhode Island Detached Militia. Presumably this belonged to one of the drummers for the regiment. Their commanding officer owned a jewelry manufacturing business so it is likely that he had these badges made for their reunions in the 1880s. Drop dead beautiful badge!
