A beautiful piece from an important ship of the late 19th century. A rare example of the ‘unofficial’ badges, prior to the standardisation in 1919. 

HMS Iris (1895) was a second-class protected cruiser of the Royal Navy, launched in 1895. She served during a period of imperial policing, operating on overseas stations such as the North America and West Indies Station. Iris undertook patrol, escort, and presence missions typical of late Victorian cruisers, helping protect trade routes and British interests. Although she did not see major combat, she contributed to maintaining naval dominance during a relatively peaceful era. In August 1914 with the outbreak of war, Isis was brought out of the reserve and attached to the 11th Cruiser Squadron based on Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland. She was later transferred to the North American and West Indies Station, and was scrapped in 1920.