Qualification Badge: Marksman, Victorian Military Forces

Red cloth badge featuring crossed muskets embroidered in gold bullion wire. Between the rifles in gold bullion wire is the date '1877', while above the rifles are four ribbons containing the dates '1873', '1874', '1875' and '1876'. The badge is backed with brown paper and a layer of fine hessian.

Gold embroidered marksmanship badges such as this were worn on the sleeve of the left forearm, to indicate that the wearer was the best shot in his Company. Badges could be worn until the next annual qualifying attempt (12 months). In Victoria, during the 1860s and 1870s, marksmen who successfully defended their ranking wore year bars to indicate the length of time they had held the title, this example being for the period 1863 to 1867.