A badge is a device, patch, or accoutrement which is presented or displayed to annote some feat of service, a special accomplishment, as a symbol of authority (ex: police), or as a simple means of identification. They are also used in advertising and publicity.

Badges have become highly collectable: in the UK, for example, the Badge Collectors' Circle has been going since 1980 [1].

In the military, badges are often used to denote qualifications received through military training. Similarly, scouting organizations use them to show group membership and rank.

One of the best-known badges is the typically star-shaped U.S. sheriff's badge, made famous in Westerns.

The BBC children's program Blue Peter also awards its own "Blue Peter badge" to members of the public who appear on the show.

Case badges are also thick (about 3mm deep), 3cm x 3cm lucite stickers that are often packaged with various computer parts, such as processors and video cards. Modern computer cases are frequently embellished with an indentation on the case's front panel to facilitate the affixing of a case badge. Popular case badges usually come with AMD processors, NVIDIA or ATI video cards, and sometimes with Creative sound cards. Custom case badges, along the lines of "Beige Sucks!" and "Evil Inside" are popular as well, retailing for around $2.00 USD at computer hardware retailers. [2]

See also:

• Military badges of the United States
• Heraldic badge
• Insignia
• Case modding

"Badge" is also the name of a song by Cream.

A badge is also a distinguishing logo on trucks and automobiles. See badge engineering.

Bibliography

Setchfield, Frank (1986). Official Badge Collector's Guide: From the 1890's to the 1980's". London: Longman. ISBN 0582893062