Newbie with an APB?

[Noel Lakey]

Greetings everyone!

I've been lurking on the site for the past few weeks researching several badges I inherited a few years back. One of them appears to be a Type 2, 1943 ABP. Not having yet acquired the skilled eyes of a seasoned collector, I though I'd seek some assistance from the pros.

If anyone's willing to look at a few, rather poor quality pics and share your thoughts as to the authenticity, I'd be much obliged.

The pics are posted at: http://home.attbi.com/~nlakey/

Special thanks Eric Queen and PK for the excellent research material...whew, there's much to learn!!

Thanks and Cheers!
Noel

[Eric Queen]

Noel,

Welcome to the forum. IMO, a textbook original post reinstatement badge in Feinzink. I cannot see any problems with it myself. Quite a nice item to inherit.

Regards,

Eric Queen

[Lorenzo Brown]

Wow!! Great looking badge. Thanks for the super scans. Now that it has Eric's "blessing" it is a great reference piece for the rest of us.

PS-- Noel, would you be able to provide weight and dimensions for the badge?

[IVAN]

Hi Noel,

very nice piece.

If you would like to campare with mines, go to:

www.majorplm.com section collections

regards

Ivan

[Prosper Keating]

Welcome Noel! I don't think you need any further reassurance but here's my ten cents-worth for the record.

Stunning! It is rare to see any sixty year-old zink badge with its finish as intact as this. As Lorenzo said, a reference for all of us. Thank you for sharing it. Have a look at Ivan's though. They're nice too. As we said in the article, these come with the hooks made of round wire stock as well as flat wire, like yours. There is also a variation hinge with a 'shepherd's crook' pin but yours is the classic mid-war type used by C E Juncker.

You lucky so-and-so! I hope it cost you an arm and two legs!! I mean, this is perhaps the nicest 1943 pattern APB I have seen in terms of condition. It seems to be practically mint.

Prosper Keating

[IVAN]

Hi dear Prosper,

I think that would see really well it in your collection!

Ivan

[Prosper Keating]

Now there's a thought.

Noel...Noel...are you there?



Prosper

[Noel Lakey]

Wow...

What can I say! I am truly humbled by all of your responses!

Ok, to Lorenzo, I'll be happy to post weights and sizes of my piece. Please feel free to email me offline (I don't want to duplicate any previous threads) with your recommendations as to a decent scale that I can purchase to get an accurate weight. Please also include which measurements (in mm's I suspect) that would be most beneficial to the forum.

Yep, Ivan... you SOB... (oops sorry ) I've seen your APB's!!! I used your pictures as reference to the one I have, very nice pieces!!!

PK, (or anyone) if you feel that my APB will sit well on your site as a reference piece, please, by all means use my crummy pics! I'll try to get better pics as my skill with a digital camera advances.

Everyone, it's great to make your acquaintance... thanks again.

I'm off to enjoy a fine single malt!

Cheers!
Noel

[Lorenzo Brown]

Well...you certainly don't have to go out and buy a pricey new scale and micrometer on my account ....
....but, since you asked, I use a Tanita Model 1479V digital scale for all my weighty needs. I also use an "Aerospace" brand jeweler's micrometer for precise measurements.

Measurements for this badge should be in millimeters for at least: wreath height; wreath width; eagle length from tip of beak to longest wingtip; distance from bottom of swaz to top of eagle on the wreath. There are a plethora of other measurements that could be taken, but these are probably the most fundamental.

Of course, rather than buying expensive equipment for just this one task, you could always use a standard "six inch " plastic school ruler and a Betty Crocker food scale. We Americans could deal with inches and ounces...but the Euros might get perplexed!

[Prosper Keating]

PK, (or anyone) if you feel that my APB will sit well on your site as a reference piece, please, by all means use my crummy pics! I'll try to get better pics as my skill with a digital camera advances.

That's OK. Just send it over to me and I'll take some pics of it. I'll look after it real well!

Seriously, thanks. Re picture quality: I use a digital camera for quite a lot of stuff but I have also gotten good results with an ordinry flatbed scanner. I used the latter method to obtain high res images of my aluminium 2nd pattern for a publisher. It was a bit tricky to get it square-on to the glass and the scanner lens as it's convex but I got around that with discreet use of Blu-tack and by blocking the lid up to get it level. Then I covered the whole shebang with dark cloth to keep unwanted light out. The results are pretty good. Try this method for your 1943 pattern APB. Then we will happily put it on our website as a reference alongside Ivan's examples. And I will also put it to the top of the list for the project about which I e-mailed you.

PK

[Noel Lakey]

Thanks for the great info everyone!

I'll get to work on the weights and measures and will have something posted in the upcoming week. You've also given me some great tips on improving my picture quality so I'll set to work on that as well; then I'll box the thing up and overnight it to PK for safe keeping... YEAH RIGHT !!

I have several other pieces that I'd love to share with you all and get your opinions as well but will hold off until I get my ducks in a row as far as images, weights and measurements.

Again, many thanks and cheers!
Noel