Dress chapka with cotton cover, produced for service in India, sealed pattern, 1863

Sealed patterns were used to govern manufacture of insignia, establishing a prototype of any item that the British Army issued to soldiers. It provided clothing or equipment suppliers with an example to copy.

The chapka (czapka), also known as a lance cap, was originally worn by Polish lancer regiments. During the Waterloo campaign, British forces encountered Polish lancers who were in French service. The British Army's lancer regiments subsequently adopted the chapka in light of the Polish regiments proving their effectiveness.

They continued to be worn by British lancer regiments for full dress until 1939. The Royal Lancers still retain the chapka for its Lancer Honour Guard and it's still worn by the band of the Royal Yeomanry.