RAD Ribbon Bar Authenticity

[MJC]

This came in today and I am alerted to the scratches on the pin system. It can go back. Should it?

Thanks for your comments.

[juoneen]

How dear was the price?

[luftkrieg]

How dear was the price?

Good question. These devices are not often seen...i only have one in my entire ribbon bar collection.

The scratch appears to be at the Honour Cross ribbon...but with these tab-back bars who is to say what was on there post-1945....maybe nothing different from what we see here today....hard to know!

The scratch seeems to be deep, so not a result of ususal wear...but someone opening the tabs.

Kind regards
Pierce

[MJC]

Hello, and thanks for your comments. I paid less than $30 so no great concerns either way.

If I understand correctly, the concern would be that the RAD device was added later and this could only be accomplished by removing the entire backing system. If that had happened, I assume each of the tabs would show some evidence.

Is there a reason why the presence of scratches frequently indicates a fake while the absence of scratches frequently indicates an authentic piece, especially since the tabs had to have been folded down at some point? Did the wartime manufacturers do a neater job, or use a tool that prevented scratches?

I am just trying to learn to avoid quicksand.

Thanks Again!

[tgn]

For $30 who cares? The RAD device is very uncommon and the ribbon bar is well worth the price regardless.

Tom

[George Stimson]

Here's the same RAD device on a single bar.

[MJC]

Is it conceivable that someone would 'upgrade' a real ribbon bar with a real device?

Am I naive?

Thanks for the comparison, George, a beauty you have there.

[RonR]

And one on a two ribbon bar:

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[George Stimson]

"Is it conceivable that someone would 'upgrade' a real ribbon bar with a real device?"

I think that anything is conceivable in this hobby. Here is a good EK 2 Spange ribbon device that I'm sure someone would be happy to put on a bar to make it worth more.

[luftkrieg]

Hello, and thanks for your comments. I paid less than $30 so no great concerns either way.

If I understand correctly, the concern would be that the RAD device was added later and this could only be accomplished by removing the entire backing system. If that had happened, I assume each of the tabs would show some evidence.

Is there a reason why the presence of scratches frequently indicates a fake while the absence of scratches frequently indicates an authentic piece, especially since the tabs had to have been folded down at some point? Did the wartime manufacturers do a neater job, or use a tool that prevented scratches?

I am just trying to learn to avoid quicksand.

Thanks Again!

The presence of scratches or marks does not automatically mean that the bar has been tampered with....for example a tabbed bar that was kept in a box with other ribbon bars could easily get scratched by the pin of another bar. But a ribbon bar with no scratches does not mean the bar has not been tampered with....just maybe the tamperer was extremely careful. It is known that these bars are not hard to upgrade with rare device etc.

Taking your bar as an example; it may or may not have been tampered with...i do not see any scratches near the RAD ribbon tabs, just on the Hindy Cross tab one deep looking scratch. I would imagine that it would not be hard to make a tab bar into something else that it was not originally. Some ribbon bar collectors steer clear of these particular bars for that very reason...though not me!

What i can say for sure about your ribbon bar is that i do know that you got a nice ribbon bar with an original RAD device at a great price! Whether it was always an RAD bar who knows, it is quite possible from the pictures.

Hope that helps in some way.

Kind regards
Pierce

[MJC]

Gentlemen, thanks very much for your comments. Especially Pierce for walking me through it. Beers on me at the MAX!

[George Stimson]

Here's you bar's big brother.

[RonR]

Here is another on a four ribbon bar.

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[RonR]

Closer:

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