Maginot Line Button or Badge
Firstly, I want to thank everybody who got in touch with information about this find, and for their patience in waiting for me to get around to updating this part of the site :-)
The above badge or button originally appeared on the finds for identification page with the following caption: 'Part of a white metal badge or button, some blue enameling remaining. Appears to show a heavy gun or artillery piece within a fortification of some kind, age, origin and significance unknown.' The badge is probably made from aluminium.
The badge/button has been identified by several readers as commemorative piece relating to the construction or defence of the Maginot Line, a system of defences and fortifications built by the French between 1930 and 1939 to safeguard France's border with Germany. The motto on the button/badge reads 'On ne passe pas' or 'They shall not pass.'
Above: The back of the Maginot Line badge/button