Buckinghamshire Fire Brigade 1974 to 1989 pattern cap badge has 5 varitions.....this cap badge is the 1977 to 1983 and the 2nd variation of this pattern being the thick rim PAINTED centre badge !
 1st pattern issued in 1974 had a plastic front & thick rim but was changed in 1977 because a few of the plastic fronts were prone to becoming detached. The underneath of the plastic front thick rim red & white badges were PAINTED !
This 2nd pattern of the 1974 badge was a thick rim varition issued from 1977 without the plastic front attached until 1983. These thick rim badges are much harder to obtain because fewer existed. This pattern particulary interesting because  it had the chrome base badge PAINTED  by the manufacturer  & not many were produced & issued before the 2nd variation of the 2nd pattern chrome enamel THIN RIM were issued. Painting a badge neatly takes time so they changed fairly quickly to the thin rim all enamel badges issued until changing title & badge in 1989 !
 Manufactured by Gaunt Badge Company who were official cap badge suppliers to the brigade, this thick rim 2nd pattern variation PAINTED rarer badge is in excellent condition. 
The cap badge is complete, the enamel centre fitted to the standard issue economy lined Home Office star and both cap fixing lugs are intact to the rear of the cap badge.