Sterling silver & enamel sweetheart brooch or badge from The H.M.S Comus.

Marked with 'Sterling Silver' and because of several factors outlined below this dates between 1916 and 1919.

In wonderful condition and measures 34mm top to bottom.

The specific vessel celebrated on this badge is the C-class light cruiser HMS Comus, which operated from 1915 to 1934.

The badge/brooch displays the honour "Horns Reef" (The Battle of Jutland), which occurred from May 31 to June 1, 1916. Because a jeweller could not include a battle honour before the battle actually took place, the brooch cannot have been made before June 1916.

The crown at the top is the Naval Crown (featuring alternating ship sterns and square sails), rather than a royal monarch's crown. The Royal Navy standardized the design of individual ship crests and battle honour formats right around 1916–1919 to boost morale during and immediately following WWI. In the British jewellery and silversmithing trade during the early 20th century, standard official items meant for commercial sale went through an assay office for full hallmarks (a lion, city mark, and date letter). However, military sweetheart brooches made rapidly during the war were frequently stamped simply with "STERLING" or "STERLING SILVER" to guarantee the .925 silver purity without the delays of formal hallmarking.

The badge functions as a comprehensive lineage record, displaying honours inherited from previous historic ships of the same name alongside its own active achievements.

Copenhagen: Inherited from the first HMS Comus (a post ship), which participated in the bombardment and capture of Copenhagen in 1807.

China: Inherited from the second HMS Comus (a wooden sloop) and third HMS Comus (a corvette) which served deployments on the China Station during the 1850s and 1880s.

Horns Reef: Earned directly by this 1915 cruiser. Horns Reef is the coastal geographic location off Denmark where the historic Battle of Jutland was fought from May 31 to June 1, 1916.