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Here's another patch made for collectors. It just sold on
an online auction site for $250+.
My expertise is not WW I, but I have some basic knowledge of WW I
patches, and I wanted to point this out to our readers.
The patch is for the 46th Air Park. Note that the black background
is sewn to an OD background, and that letters AP are sewn to the
black part. The numerals 46 look as if they glow w/o benefit of a
black light.
This was either a good Air Park patch, and some goofball added the
numerals recently, or the patch is entirely fake. The "46th Air
Park" may not have even existed.
Wool on wool is the easiest to fake. Novice collectors should also
know that physical therapy for wounded WW I doughs, into the 1920s,
consisted of them making patches and sewing them to blankets. Wool
on wool was the chosen material.
I apologize for not having a good Air Park patch for comparison, but
since there were no manufacturer's specifications in WW I, there is
tremendous variance in styles. I don't want someone to think that
the only patch used for comparison is the only "good version".
Perhaps some of our members have good examples of these patches.
"RARE Unknown Armor
Patches"
Dave Kaufman
These pop up on Ebay quite often as RARE unknown
armor patches.
What they are, or what they were, were WW II PX patches have had the
borders with the letters cut off. The some one embroidered company
letters (A-C), S, and TD (which should be a giveaway -why Tank
Destroyer on an Armored patch when they were separate branches in WW
II?)
These pop up on Ebay quite often as RARE unknown armor patches.
The actual "jacket" patches ( reduced in size) :
US Army Mission to Moscow
Dave Kaufman -Trading Post Editor
Most collectors are familiar with the US Army
Mission to Moscow patch. However, there is one that was made for
collectors c. 1945 and one that was worn. The fully embroidered
patch on the right with the wide white borders is the made for
collectors patch; the one on the left, with narrow letters and a
narrow border, with an eagle that looks like an eagle, is the one
that was worn during the war.
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NUMBERED RANGER PATCHES
Dave Kaufman -Trading Post Editor
Many collectors have seen these types of "Rangers" numbered
diamond patches offered for sale (numbers 1-15). The one depicted is
a crappy repro, but no matter - THEY WERE NEVER EVER WORN - even the
US made examples. What happened is that some patch manufacturers
learned of the Army's plan to organize 15 Ranger Infantry Companies
(NOT battalions) during the Korean War. They began to be activated
in Aug 1950, and were finalized by Feb 1951. Due to a number of
reasons, the companies were inactivated by Aug 1951. What the
Rangers preferred to wear, with the exception of the 7th Ranger Co,
were the black/red/white scrolls similar to those worn by the Ranger
battalions of WW II.
There is an article on the Ranger Companies During the Korean War
in the Jan-Mar 1995 issue of The Trading Post, and may be purchased
from ASMIC (back issues are available). During the research that
went into this article, it was determined by interviews with several
vets, from different companies, as well as discussions w/ the Center
of Military History, and discussions with other more knowledgeable
collectors that the diamonds were never worn.
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USAAF Patches
by Les Hughes
www.insigne.org
Please
visit Les' site for more excellent articles on
reproduction patches!
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The WWII USAAF squadron patches illustrated in the top two
images at the left were offered for sale by a dealer whose
specialty is nineteenth century militaria. Occasionally, he
acquires the odd item from WWI or WWII and includes it in
his catalog, but it is clear from his offering that these
items fall outside his expertise. The patches were offered
for $200 each, an attractive price if they were authentic.
Unfortunately, the illustrations of the patches in the
catalog did not allow much of an assessment of that aspect,
so I purchased the patches subject to a 3-day period of
inspection.
When I received the patches, I was struck immediately by the
similarity of their construction, especially by the
profusion of threads on the backs. I forwarded images to a
friend who collects squadron patches, and he confirmed that
these patches were among numerous reproductions that had
been brought into this country years earlier by a dealer
from the UK. That dealer had sold the patches as
reproductions, but now, years later, they had begun to turn
up as originals. I returned the patches and received a
prompt refund. I feel certain that the fellow selling these
believed them to be original, and that this was simply
another example of the danger of venturing beyond one’s
expertise.
The other three images are of reproductions that are
presently circulating. They are illustrated to give one an
idea of the appearance and quality of the reproductions that
one may encounter.
As an side, years ago I wrote to the aforementioned dealer
in the UK, and I asked if he would tell me who was making
these reproductions. Even though I took pains in my letter
to assure him I did not think him guilty of any wrongdoing,
and that I was simply trying to learn who was turning out
the high-quality copies he was selling, he never responded.
Whoever is turning out patches such as these, no doubt they
are still at it, and no doubt their skills are improving.
As for the dealer who would not answer my letter, I see that
his swath now includes eBay, where his offerings include a
variety of WWII-era cloth insignia whose construction is
strikingly similar to those illustrated here. |
December 2007
6860th T Force Patch
Dave Kaufman
Trading Post Editor
Mort Cohen
Here's a fake 6860th T Force patch that has been making the rounds.
The differences between this and a good one: the oversized flat
border to this patch; the many loose ends; the embroidery goes
different directions and is not in an obvious thread count; and the
white background should be fully embroidered rather than this exotic
cloth. The T Force is found only two ways. The main is embroidered
but not US made. I repeat not US made; was made in Lyon France and
the patch is very flimsy in that if you hold the patch on the bottom
border it will fall over where with a US made patch it would stand
erect most of the time. The second version is in bullion and is very
well done and elaborate
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Fake |
Original |
This section will change monthly and will feature
articles by recognized experts in their fields.
This months feature:
PAKISTAN TYPE 6: SPECIAL FORCES RECON TEAMS
This series is less ornate than other Pakistani made patches, using
more basic materials such as cotton, wool, and cotton thread. Most
of the patches seen in this series have been severely aged in
attempt to hide their recent manufacture. Despite all this apparent
"wear" there are no stitch marks to indicate the item was ever
actually sewn onto a uniform.
Shown her is a copy of a 502nd ABN Strike Force patch. While using a
simple base material, the patch features the easily spotted “rope”
embroidery thread used for the lines of the
parachute. The broader portions of the design show long parallel
stitches common to Pakistani hand embroidery. The back side of this
patch features a layer of cotton mesh dyed black that would also
match patches from Pakistan, as well as the trademark long cross
over stitch connecting threads of similar color on different parts
of the design. Note the high degree of aging,
despite the fact that the patch has never been sewn or worn.
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Reproduced with the permission of:
Gil Burket
ASMIC Member
Omaha, NE
Specializing in Fakes and Reproductions
of the Vietnam War
The Mystery of the Pasquali &
Co. Sterling Airship Wings
I have been trying to track down the original of
these wings for several years. The following is my theory:
This wing was purchased several years ago on
eBay, It came out of the western part of the US. This was the first
one I found on eBay , since then I have seen several more. At first
they all came out of the west, now they are seen all over the US.
A set of these also turned up in a 30 year old collection.
I have held 3 of these, and each one had a
different pin. A collector friend who had access to a spectrometer
(?) had a set analyzed and apparently the silver was of a type
used in the 40's. The construction is correct, soldered posts and
they are die struck. The wings are very heavy.
The first thing that jumps out is the spelling
"Pasquali " of which I can find no reference NOT
"Pasquale"
which is a known wing maker. Also the wing I have has a very light
weight pin, the wing from the older collection has a heavier pin,
the third wing had different wing from the other two.
Finally, I was a set of
these being sold by a seller who was selling the old stock of an
shop from the "House of Swords". Apparently this store
commissioned a lot of incredibly well made fakes of all types,
lot of Nazi items and WWI wings. Though yet another
collector, I discovered that apparently a family member has been
selling this old stock on eBay through an intermediary.
I know that there is a lot conjecture here on my
part, but the facts seem to add up. A collector buy one of these in
the late 70's early 80's, nice pin. The owner of the House of Swords
dies suddenly, and these wings disappear from the market. A family
member starts "cleaning out the basement" and these wings resurface,
possibly without pins. Pins are added with what ever is handy, and
they start showing up on the market. Please feel free to drop me an
email if you have any other info that either proves or disproves
my theory!
Paul Conrad
Member 2808
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