I do not profess to be an expert on these badges at all, however I do know what I like and what I dislike. What worries me is the “burnt” area around the weep hole where this badge was assembled, I have never seen this on an original. The absence of any maker’s mark or silver content mark is also worrying. Like I said I am not an expert and you would really have to handle a piece to say one way or the other on these. It is very hard for a faker to reproduce 100% all the features of a 80 odd year old badge. This is one I would pass on.
Okay, missed this last night. I agree with all of Rick L's points of concern. beyond this, the detail of the landscape is totally different than the 2 real ones I have handled, and totally different from the real one I still own. When I make it to Rick L's for the next meeting of the minds concerned with our evil plan for world-domination, I'll have him make scans of mine for our image gallery. My scanner just won't make 'em like his!
Mike, I wish they had posted HERE, since we are all here to learn and don't go all ballistic freaky the way those awful Zinky characters do.
I am still the newbiest of newbies on aviation badges-- 35 years and 4 badges... I would like to learn all I can. There has never been any good COLLECTOR sort of info on these badges out there in print, so now we are here on the Internet, we can share what each of us knows. In my case, on aviation badges, that is very, very little!
I back-checked myself with some friends in Germany and they felt the badge was probably OK. What I find interesting is that this is possible, with such a variation in the landscape portion of the badge. Must be a different maker than the ones I've owned. So, what does this tell us with respects to quality-control and consistency during the 1920's, through the onset of LDO Quality Control in the late 1930's?
Were different makers using similar, but totally different designs?
A real can of worms here!
I'd be more comfortable purchasing one that was identical to the others I have that are known/accepted originals.
BUT, I cannot state that this badge is bad. Wanted to post this publicly.
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