*British, WWII, RAF Spitfire Fund Chrome Label Badges, Home Front Fundraising (City of Wells & Calne)(2)*
Two WWII-era chromed metal Spitfire Fund badges, named to CITY OF WELLS and CALNE, likely to have been produced during the 1940–41 fundraising drives supporting RAF fighter production. These smaller chromium-plated versions were sold by various towns to represent their local contributions toward community-sponsored Spitfires. Both retain their original wartime pin fittings, each measuring approximately 2.4 cm × 2.1 cm.
Historical Note: A national campaign, supported by Lord Beaverbrook, the Minister for Aircraft Production, encouraged individual towns, factories and communities to raise money to buy a Spitfire. In total, 1400 campaigns were launched, collecting in the end £13 million, equivalent to about £650 million today. Spitfire Fund badges were sold door-to-door, at factory gates, and in town centres during 1940–41 at the height of the Battle of Britain. Small workshops and die-stampers across the UK produced countless variations. These named examples—“City of Wells” and “Calne”—follow the same silhouette as the cast brass fund badges but were produced in lighter metals and chromed for visibility and wear. They were sold locally as patriotic tokens to demonstrate a donor’s contribution to the community’s RAF fundraising effort.
*Condition* Both brooches remain bright with light surface wear; chrome plating intact. The original pin assemblies remain functional. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
