What can you tell me about the badges of the Arizona Rangers?

What can you tell me about the badges of the Arizona Rangers?

Dennis Moore
Wickenburg, Arizona

I wrote to my good friend Bill O’Neal, author of The Arizona Rangers. He says, the “badges were designated captain, lieutenant, sergeant (there were four of those), and then one, two, three, four, etc. (not ‘private’). There were only 20 numbered badges, and I’ve never seen any record of assigned badges.

“Once a Ranger resigned or was promoted to sergeant or officer, he turned in his numbered badge, and it was issued to his replacement. Same with sergeants, lieutenants and captains.”

In appearance, the badges were pretty straightforward—a five-pointed star with the rank (or number) at top, then Arizona and Rangers on the succeeding lines.