WWI Pilot Badges

[andererweg]

There are two such badges on ebay currently. I have been wanting to buy a nice original, but after reading so much useful information on this forum, and being directed to a good reference article (also from this site) on the hazards of doing same, I have resisted.

But I continue to look.

Can anyone speak with authority on the merits of these two badges? (160263090515 and 160263071176):

http://cgi.ebay.com/WWI-Imperial-Ger...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/WWI-Engraved-Imp...QQcmdZViewItem

[Ferg 1]

Pilot badges

Hi,both badges are types that are shrouded in controversy . Without going into reams of theories and opinions ,in short, I would not bother with those as a startoff to your imperial aviation collecting. IMO there is a nucleus of genuine 1930's made badges of these types but they have been faked/copied to death so as to make it very hard to differentiate between the real and bogus. Many people will discard these badges immediately as fakes,I am not so sure,but that is a long winded theory which I will not bore you with ! In short I would leave them to someone else. I would be happy to let you have pics of genuine period badges if you wish to PM me .Ferg1.

[VtwinVince]

Agreed, both of these have the "superfluous berry", and the second's engraving looks highly spurious. I wouldn't touch either of these.

[regular122]

The crown wells are all wrong--half moon instead of flush to the crown. And a Meybauer mark on a rayback? Agree with the others, RUN Forest RUN!!

Perhaps Ferg can point out the many problems with these. Steve

[jaba-the-hunt]

Second one is a known copy.

Regards

Alex