An original Aircrew Europe star?

[yellow]

All of what I am about to say is in MY OPINION.

Liverpool Medals always issue a bill of sale with every purchase. If the bill of sale is not present with an un-named / unattributed medal all we have to prove the source is the word of the current vendor. I would suggest you find the original Liverpool Medals invoice.

I am fairly happy with what I have seen of your medal. It does appear to of been polished using a buffing wheel, a common ploy used by reproducers to quickly age militaria however this does not mean the medal is a reproduction. I can think of a few legitimate reasons why a medal might of been cleaned in this way. The medal does also not show the die flaws I would associate with the latest batch of reproductions.

If we look hard enough at any item of militaria we are bound to find imperfections but what struck me as odd about your medal is the jump ring. It could very well be your photographs but it looks like the gauge of wire used is slightly unusual. Do you own a micrometer?

Going slightly off track may I ask why the same medal is on your web site with 'sold' next to it? Are we resolving a seller dispute?

[Wartime Collectables]

All of what I am about to say is in MY OPINION.

Liverpool Medals always issue a bill of sale with every purchase. If the bill of sale is not present with an un-named / unattributed medal all we have to prove the source is the word of the current vendor. I would suggest you find the original Liverpool Medals invoice.

Going slightly off track may I ask why the same medal is on your web site with 'sold' next to it? Are we resolving a seller dispute?

Regarding the first comment, I have that provenance but being as it's an unnamed piece I realize any medal could be stuck to the reciept and I only mentioned the source "the story" because I was asked.
Regarding the second comment, no. The medal was listed and I marked it sold when the questions arose here. I have it sold with the caveat of reading this thread to a knowledgeable collector but as with anything I sell; an unconditional guarantee.

[grip3846]

All things considered

Well I like 1st impressions,and I liked it when I first saw it. Having regard to everyones comments and even my own faint reservations,from the photos I believe it is a good one,the provenance of the bill of sale helps a lot. We can get carried away and rightly so by the fakes that abound,but here,I believe is a genuine item.
The rarest of the "stars",and around £120-£140 each,we are not in the realms of the German Army Para badge here but still they attempt to spoil our hobby and sully the name of the brave.
Regards,Ivan

[Wartime Collectables]

...but still they attempt to spoil our hobby and sully the name of the brave. Regards,Ivan

TRUE! And my main frustration with fakers and thieves in this hobby! Again, thanks all. I let it fly to a dealer who knows his stuff and is quite comfortable with the star.

[Tim B.]

This is a good thread guys and one that is very useful for collectors that don't know what to look for on these!

I have always wanted to get a good solid collection of WWII Stars but never knew the details that separate fact from fiction and never found any one-stop reference on them.

Perhaps we should start a thread on fake Stars and what to look out for? Does one already exist that I haven't found?

Tim

[pylon1357]

Please understand that this is my opinion and mine alone...

I have viewed these photos with much interest. I cannot put my finger on it but I am on the fence in regards to this Star. I don't see the common die flaws associated with most fakes, however I am still not positive its a good one. I am bothered somewhat with the reverse being what appears to be filed?? The reverse of these should be flat with no tool makes. I suppose thses are not tool marks but I can not be sure from the photos.

I noticed the stippling around the wording appears poor and undefined. Again this could just be the photos.

Lastly thing I note is the photo of the edge, it almost appears to me that it is rough and unsmooth.

Again these are my observations. I am a Commonwealth medals collector, however far from an expert on these stars.