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    #31
    Great eagles! I have fought the urge to start collecting a set myself, a battle that I fear I may soon be on the loosing side of thanks to your post!

    Maybe it isn't common knowledge, but Luxenberg (Morrie Luxenberg owned a uniform supply company in New York and later in London), did not actually MAKE any of its insignia. Rather, they contracted insignia from other companies. For example, the classic Luxenberg wing (shown on another thread right now) was most likely a contract piece from Blackinton. Two other wing patterns were also contracted by Luxenberg to make its wings, the AE Co and Blackinton. Both these patterns can also be found with the parent company hallmarks. I believe that the Luxenberg cap badge was most likely also contracted from either Balfour, Blackinton or AE Co.

    You sometimes see a post war Luxenberg cap eagle that has both New York and London on it--most likely made by J. R. Gaunt. In fact, I have seen the same J.R. Gaunt eagle with a New York and London hallmark.

    While undeniably attractive and higher quality, a Luxenberg hallmark always seems to get top-dollar even above its identical non-Lux hallmarked die mate.

    P. Frost

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      #32
      Here's the Luxenberg badge and it was made in England.

      Kurt
      Attached Files

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        #33
        reverse
        Attached Files

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          #34
          Originally posted by Kurt A.
          Adam-
          Really nice collection. Could you post a front and back of the Tiffany? Possibly that high detail example you posted is the front view of it?
          KUrt
          Kurt,
          Here's the Tiffany WW1 eagle. The hallmark is "TIFFANY & CO" with a capital M underneath. The flat back is probably a good indicator of a quality strike.

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            #35
            Originally posted by rctgunner
            Hi Adam,

            Speaking of hallmarks, I would really appreciate seeing the hallmark on your nickle Luxenberg badge. I have seen Lux hallmarks behind the breast shield and behind the stars at the top of the device. does that date the badge in any way?


            Thanks,
            Charlie
            Charlie
            I made a collage of the hallmarks. Most pieces aren't marked. I included the Lux you wanted.

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              #36
              Originally posted by Adam Lewis
              Charlie
              I made a collage of the hallmarks. Most pieces aren't marked. I included the Lux you wanted.
              There's a JR Gaunt in post #35. It's an attached plate on a WW1 eagle. Here's one with their mark stamped in. Note the disc of stars is separately attached. Several are constructed this way.

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                #37
                Adam-
                Outstanding badge and a really tough one to find. Along with BB&B, I'd say Tiffany made the best quality insignia.
                Kurt


                Originally posted by Adam Lewis
                Kurt,
                Here's the Tiffany WW1 eagle. The hallmark is "TIFFANY & CO" with a capital M underneath. The flat back is probably a good indicator of a quality strike.

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                  #38
                  Originally posted by Adam Lewis
                  Tino,
                  You ask some good questions. I don't know the significance of the wing shape. What have you heard?
                  Some people consider them to be early WWII while others consider them to be made specially for the AAF. Some of the newer Eagles in your collection also have the curved up wing tips so there goes the early WWII theory.
                  Seems to me it's just a difference in the makers.
                  Does anyone else have an explanation for the curved up wing tip style?

                  Tino

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                    #39
                    Hi Adam,

                    Thank you for posting all of the hallmarks. wow, that Tiffany device has stunning detail.

                    Thanks again for sharing your collection.
                    Charlie

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                      #40
                      Originally posted by Chris_Werner
                      Can you explain to a novice how you tell the difference between WWI, II and post WWII eagles? what are the characteristics that differentiate them?

                      Thanks.
                      Chris,
                      A really good question! I make no claims to be an authority and I haven't found any study on these.
                      But here are the characteristics IMHO for US Army officer eagles:

                      WW1: height no more than 2 1/4", width 2" or smaller. Darkened or bronze but probably not gilt.

                      Sometime between the wars and WW2: larger than WW1, a few up to 3" tall. Gilt.

                      Post WW2: standard size is 2 3/8" tall x 2 1/4" wide. Gilt.

                      Also, the disk of stars seems to have evolved as shown here. I'm not sure how reliably you can date an eagle by the stars, but modern ones seem to have the same edge of small mounds with the stars enclosed by a raised border.

                      I am not an expert and am merely extracting a few observations based on period photos, books (e.g., USAAF Pinks and Greens) and the hardware itself. And I've put smallish gilt ones in the pre-WW2/WW2 box that look nearly identical to a bronzed one I put in the WW1 box.

                      I hope others will jump in with their own opinions.

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                        #41
                        Emerson, in his encyclopedia of United States Army Insignia and Uniforms indicates that most of the eagles with a horizontal oval cloud (see the Tiffany, Gaunt, Meyer examples) date to the 1930s. It's also worth noting there was no "W.W.I version" per se, as the eagle was adopted in 1902 and drifted slightly in design (by manufacturer) until standardized in 1936. The initial use of the eagle was in bullion and these were still very common through the Great War.

                        Often overlooked as unknown or sweetheart emblems are the variety of reduced sized eagles worn on headgear other than the men's visored hat and by women in a variety of uses including the WASP beret.

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                          #42
                          Very interesting thread. Beautiful eagles guys. Thank you!
                          "Activity! Activity! Speed! I greet you."
                          -Napoleon to Massena, advancing on Landshut, April 18, 1809

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                            #43
                            Originally posted by VerKuilen Ager
                            the eagle ... drifted slightly in design (by manufacturer) until standardized in 1936.
                            Can you tell us what was standardized? The whole eagle badge, or just some of the design elements, or ...?

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