Looking for the history of the company Coffer Northampton/London who
made football/soccer badges from the early 1960's to early 1980s (I
think).  What happened to them?  What was their history?  Any
information?  Any websites/books?

Well, I started by finding a collector
of the pins:

colpur@clara.co.uk <colpur@clara.co.uk>
http://home.clara.net/colpur/big_boot2.jpg

I can contact them for any additional info
they might have, if you like.

Then, I started finding sites that weren't
referenced in the search engines that were
done by badge collectors:
http://home.clara.net/colpur/football.html
http://www.afbc.org.uk/
http://www.thebadge.co.uk/index.htm
This one makes me hungry:
http://www.thebadge.co.uk/burgerspaceman.jpg

A badger group (I had to say it)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Badgers/

But none of this answers your question,
nor has very direct references to Coffer
Northampton, just roundabouts. So it's just
leads for now. I'd be glad to email any of
these people/organizations for you to inquire
more.

-AI

I actually collect them myself.  In particular the badges made for my
favourite team.  I had previously visited all the sites above that you
listed while I was searching on my own, I have searched all over the
web.  All other old badge makers such as Fattorini, Toye, Gomm etc
have websites, but I presume that because Coffer are now either
non-existant or not making badges no site is available.

Coffer Sports did not manufacture badges. They commissioned them from
firms in Birmingham's jewellery quarter and distributed them to
traders across the counntry. I dealt with Coffers from 1972 to the
early 1980s. The last contact I had with them was a conversation with
Malcolm Coffer on Wembley Way before the FA Cup Final of 1985, but by
that time the firm had gone into liquidation. Some of the dies were
sold and used by other people to make badges, usually in soft enamel.