Fake WWII USMC Silver Star

[kastauffer]

This is the 3rd Fake posthumous USMC Silver Star I have seen this seller list on Ebay in the last 6 months. The engraving is getting better, but its still an obvious fake!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-Cased-Named...QQcmdZViewItem

Kurt

[tom2001]

The engraving is getting better, but its still an obvious fake!!

And what an ugly fake it is!! Total POS!!!

[coastie]

Waste of a good slot brooched Silver Star!

[vicjoy1945]

Yup !! What a shame that someone would fake a gallantry medal to one of our fallen heros. Posthumous WWII USMC Silver Star groups are tough to find...I'm lucky enough to have a Silver Star grouping to an USMC officer who was KIA on Saipan. In fact, any WWII USMC Silver Star groupings are rare !!

This Silver Star one listed on ebay is better than the previous attempts by this seller , but, it shouldn't fool anyone with any experience in posthumous WWII medals.

Hopefully this one will go down in flames.

Vic

[SVW1945]

You Guys are right.
This is the third time for this person.Must be growing these. Marine SS are extremely rare. I have only seen 5 on eBay in 6 years. But I could have mist some. The last 4 good ones I seen, I bid on. Only won 2. You have to have deep pockets for these valor medals,Especially if they have doc,s.They get very expensive. I see more DSC,S them marine SS on ebay.To me they are rarer. Lets here from others on this. And I hope these guys bidding on this SS are warned.They must not know. Well this is only my view. Does not mean nothing to others. I do know the ones I own. I feel lucky to own.One from Iwo and the other from Peleliu. Some of you collectors out there have seen them and know where I,m coming from. My main interests are marine hearts and Silver stars.
Nick

[kastauffer]

You Guys are right.
This is the third time for this person.Must be growing these. Marine SS are extremely rare. I have only seen 5 on eBay in 6 years. But I could have mist some. The last 4 good ones I seen, I bid on. Only won 2. You have to have deep pockets for these valor medals,Especially if they have doc,s.They get very expensive. I see more DSC,S them marine SS on ebay.To me they are rarer. Lets here from others on this. And I hope these guys bidding on this SS are warned.They must not know. Well this is only my view. Does not mean nothing to others. I do know the ones I own. I feel lucky to own.One from Iwo and the other from Peleliu. Some of you collectors out there have seen them and know where I,m coming from. My main interests are marine hearts and Silver stars.
Nick

USMC KIA SS's are truly rare! I have never owned one.

Documented WWII Army DSC's are are super scarce too. I have seen many many more WWI Army DSC's than documented WWII DSC's . Part of it has to do with the fact that #'d WWII DSC's are not traceable and most are not named. In the past 8 years on Ebay I have only seen 3-4 WWII named KIA WWII DSC's for sale. Only 2 of them were in groups. I bought one of them , but recently sold/traded it.

Kurt

[Kurt A.]

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" width="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">Even though the engraving on this SS is not on par with original WW2 engraving, it's not too far off the mark. Only because the engraver was trying to do it in the fancy USMC/USN style is it identifiable as bogus. I would think this same engraver could do a very convincing job on a WW2 Army Purple Heart with the plain, simple letters. How many of those Purple Hearts we see at shows and on Ebay are fake?????
Kurt
</TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on">
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<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">... not on par with original WW2 engraving, it's not too far off the mark. Only because the engraver was trying to do it in the fancy USMC/USN style is it identifiable as bogus. I would think this same engraver could do a very convincing job on a WW2 Army Purple Heart with the plain, simple letters. ...</TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on">

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Agreed, fortunatly the fakers are a greedly lot and fake the gallantry, unusual, and scarce. This piece of merde could crank out battle for Germany PH's and sell them at shows hand over fist and most would go into collections before the experienced eyes got ahold of them.

[kastauffer]

Agreed, fortunatly the fakers are a greedly lot and fake the gallantry, unusual, and scarce. This piece of merde could crank out battle for Germany PH's and sell them at shows hand over fist and most would go into collections before the experienced eyes got ahold of them.

I agree with that ! I have seen some " good guys" selling medals that were absolute honkers they thought were good . I would hate to be a new collector stepping into this minefield. When I started collecting medals in the 70's the only widespread fakes you had to deal with were with German medals. Now its everything!

Kurt

[kastauffer]

Here is another one just to illustrate that " just because it has original paperwork" doesnt make it real ! The engraving on this PH is not right for WWII. Based on the date on the PH certificate, it should have been hand engraved. This PH looks like it was engraved yesterday. Also the PQD did not put " labels " on the bottom of the boxes.

http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-KIA-PURPLE-...QQcmdZViewItem

I would be willing to bet the person who is selling this medal does not know the engraving is not correct and bought it in good faith.




Kurt

[Adam Lewis]

Here is another one just to illustrate that " just because it has original paperwork" doesnt make it real ! The engraving on this PH is not right for WWII. Based on the date on the PH certificate, it should have been hand engraved. This PH looks like it was engraved yesterday. Also the PQD did not put " labels " on the bottom of the boxes.

http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-KIA-PURPLE-...QQcmdZViewItem

I would be willing to bet the person who is selling this medal does not know the engraving is not correct and bought it in good faith.




Kurt

Kurt, Tom,
I noticed the text runs slightly uphill to the right. Could this happen on genuine named WW2 PHs? I assumed there was enough care taken to prevent this.
Adam

[kastauffer]

Kurt, Tom,
I noticed the text runs slightly uphill to the right. Could this happen on genuine named WW2 PHs? I assumed there was enough care taken to prevent this.
Adam

Hi Adam

Some USMC PH's and SS's are engraved with the name at a slant with underlining. They look a heck of a lot nicer than this half a**ed attempt to fake a medal!

Kurt

[tom2001]

Kurt, Tom,
I noticed the text runs slightly uphill to the right. Could this happen on genuine named WW2 PHs? I assumed there was enough care taken to prevent this.
Adam

Adam,

Every officially machine engraved medal I've ever seen has had perfectly level engraving. Also, the soldieir's middle initial is always on the same line as his first name. I've never seen a real officially engraved medal with the middle initial taking up it's own line.

I'm sure Kurt will concur.

[Adam Lewis]

Kurt, Tom,
Thanks for the replies. I missed out on the ebay article on engraving "the one that started it all" and have to piecemeal the questions.
Cheers!
Adam