What is “a pilgrimage badge”?

The story behind the answer

Medieval pilgrims pinned or sewed distinctive emblems to their hats or cloaks to show which holy shrine they had reached. These pieces carried the shrine’s specific icon—often the patron saint or a recognizable symbol—so onlookers could immediately see the journey accomplished and the devotion professed. Unlike generic amulets, they were site-specific markers and public proof of travel.

Most were cheap, mass-cast pewter or lead-tin, produced in huge numbers from the 12th to 15th centuries. Famous examples include the scallop shell of Santiago de Compostela and badges or ampullae linked to Thomas Becket at Canterbury. Archaeologists have recovered many from rivers like the Thames—lost on the trip home—offering a vivid glimpse of medieval mobility, devotional culture, and an early form of souvenir economy.