The Texas Rangers have a proud, nearly 200 year history, of being the elite of Texas law enforcement. As America’s oldest state law enforcement agency, the Rangers have taken part in some of the most notable Old West criminal cases, played a role in some of the most critical moments in Texas history and have been the subject of countless books ranging from non-fiction to pulp fiction. There are few items more closely linked to the rangers or more iconic in law enforcement than the Texas Ranger badge. Much debate surrounds the ranger badge, from when they were adopted, to how they are made, to how they are marked, with very little concrete evidence to be had. A few things about the badges are certain however, many of which appear to ring true throughout the history of the rangers. Many of the badges were made from Mexican coins with high silver content and that the designs often matched the uniqueness and independence of the rangers themselves. A prime example of this is stories of rangers having their own badges made from Mexican coins during the early 1960s when an attempt was made to standardize the badge which featured a blue enamel background that was widely unpopular. The example offered here shows many similarities with badges made during the 1960s, a fairly basic design that has carried on through much of the organization's history, the ringed five-pointed star. This specific example is made from a Mexican 8 reales (1 peso) coin that is dated 1897 and bears markings for the Mexico City mint. Mexican coins from this era were favored for making badges well into the 20th century due to their 90% silver content. This badge is marked "TEXAS/RANGER" on the ring and has "Co./D" at the center of the star. There are small hand engraved five pointed stars on the ring, to the left and right of the star in the center. The standard obverse markings of the Mexican coin are present including the Phrygian cap, starburst, and part of the word "LIBERTAD", as well as the date, mint, and silver content markings. A simple spring pin is mounted on the back for attaching the badge to clothing. Provenance: The Greg Lampe Collection

Very good, showing an attractively aged patina overall, some light wear and handling evidence, and both the Texas Rangers markings and original coin markings remaining crisp. Badges such as this remain incredibly collectible and are an amazing addition to any Texas law enforcement or frontier firearm collection!