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WW II period 802nd TD patches were not made in great numbers. However, that is not true of reproductions.
The greatest number were made in the 1970s, but recently, a Pakistani-made repro variant has been observed.
Noteworthy differences include: (1) the size of each patch relative to its embroidered design; (3) the genuine patch is wider; (2) the rough (fuzzy)
surface of the wool base material of the repro relative to the smooth surface of the wool of the genuine patch; (3) the gap between the wings runs the
length of the wings on the repro; (4) the lightning bolt at the top is closer to the nearest horn on the repro; (5) the end of the tongue is neither as
distinct nor as pointed on the repro. I would caution against drawing conclusions regarding differences in colors from the above images. In fact, the
lightning bolt of the genuine patch is a darker yellow than that of the repro, and the colors of the genuine patch are just as vibrant as those of the repro.
Another difference that should be noted is the shapes of the skulls. Specifically, the jaw of the repro's skull is more pronounced, and the repro's skull
is more elongated.
Now, on the variant,
On the front:
- The medium is woven loosely, and is the wrong medium
- Emb of the skull is not to govt specs - it's not in rows, just continuous emb from 7:00 to 2:00
- Yellow cable is incorrect and black outline is done in straight line emb, not in rows - you can see black stitches hold the black detail thread down
- The "wing tips" on the skull is separated by tan cables, rather than separately embroidered wings
On the back:
- Stabilizer is current material - looks very stiff and incorrect for period - "squares" are way way too small
- Embroidery on back looks Pakistani by the excess threads, how far they protrude, and incorrect thickness to all cables is apparent.
- Fake coffee or tea aging
- Cross stitches are more easily visible that hold the black detail cables on bolt on the front to the patch
- Tan cables separating the wingtips are easily visible.
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