Livery badge, York

Description

Secular pewter badge: Livery badge, York
Time period: 15th Century
Origin: England
Materials: Pewter
Product Dimensions: 5.0cm width x 5.4cm height

Further details:
A rose within a fetterlock. The civil wars that blighted England in the second half of the 15th century are popularly known as the ‘Wars of the Roses’ on account of the rose badges worn by both sides – white for the Yorkists and red for the Lancastrians. In fact, the rose was just one of a number of badges used by both factions.

In this example, two Yorkist badges, the rose and fetter-lock, have been combined to create a single design. Simple pewter badges such as this would have been produced in large numbers during the wars and distributed to followers of the Yorkist cause.