Kent

Dartford George III truncheon decorated with 'GR' over the royal arms and a large quatrefoil plaque.
This piece is interesting in that the plaque appears to be plain; however, under ultraviolet light the words 'DARTFORD KENT 1802' appears. UV light is a useful tool for the truncheon collector as it sometimes helps reveal hidden decoration and can be used as an aid to identifying faked or altered pieces. Close examination of the royal arms will show that they are in fact incorrect for the period. As the piece was made in 1802 it explains why the arms appear to be a mix of the pre 1801 and post 1802 arms. (See Dating Truncheons).

Victorian truncheon decorated with a crown over a 'VR' cipher and a cartouche containing the word 'KENT'. This truncheon was produced by the company Parker, of Holborn, London and is typical of truncheons from this firm (stamped Parker 233 Holborn in end of handle). It is a generic style used by many forces where only the name in the cartouche changes. For some reason examples from Kent seem to be fairly common and most collectors are likely to find an example from this county. They are also normally found in good condition and as such it is debatable if they were ever issued. Other examples of this type are known where a local district has been added in gold lettering just above the handle. I have in my collection one for Dartford and have seen another for Rochester. I have also seen an example where the 'N' in Kent is up side down which I have been told is not uncommon.

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