CCC in Gold - Is This a Good One?

[Colorado]

Hi Tom - Stand by for some photos, you ask and you shall receive. Side by side comparisons!

[Colorado]

Next

[Colorado]

Still more

[Colorado]

I don't know, I kind of like it. But I defer to the experts. Like I said, I am 99.999999% sure this badge at least pre-dates 1983.

No aging to it is necessary.

[Thomas Durante]

Hi Jeff,

I really can't see much wrong with the Silver other than what I mentioned before. The obverse details don't look as crisp as the bronze, but I think you can chanlk that up to the way the finish is being absorbed. I still don't like the pin on this one and the smaller size of the backplate.

The Hero uses this type of pin on some of his AGMuKs, here is a pic. Your clasp doesn't show some of the tell-tale signs of his fakes, so I am not saying that yours is a fake, but something to think about. May be a coincidence, or may not be. I can tell you for 100% certainty though that AGMuK NEVER used this type of pin on their clasps.

Tom

[Colorado]

Thanks Tom - I will send the Gold and Silver out to you this week and you can do a hands on inspection to add to your database.

I won't risk sending you the bronze, I will never see it

[Thomas Durante]

Hi guys,

Just wanted to follow up with this thread as Jeff sent me the clasps to handle in hand.

The silver clasp is no doubt an original. The backplate has been replaced as originally thought. Its smaller size is the give away, but also the fact that it has very thick artifical black paint, a deviation from the typical blue or thin-black lacquer found with original plates. It looks as if it were glued in backwards at first, but popped out at one point, and then re-glued in on the flip side. You can see where the glue ate away some of the thick finish on the plate, in the locations were glue would have tried to adhere on the reverse of the central motif. The pin is very atypical, never seen an original with this type pin, especially AGMuK. It appears that it was possibly repaired, since there is a big solder area where the pin meets the barrel of the hinge. Original tombak pins on AGMuKs have a much neater solder area, so this is definately something that is not typical, along with its shape. However, it looks like it was done in the factory since the "repair" is under the finish and IMO the finish is period.

All in all, an original AGMuK clasp with replaced backplate and atypical pin. Here are some good scans.

Tom

[Thomas Durante]

Reverse-pin

[Thomas Durante]

Obverse

[Thomas Durante]

Hi guys,

On the FLL, its a very had call because of the very little amount of finish left. There is a definate tinge to the flakes that remain, and look gold in hand and in the scanner. I did a comparison to my bronze grade clasp, with bright bronze finish, and in hand it looks close, but in the scanner there is a clear difference. The end result is that it is inconclusive as a "definate" gold clasp due to the little finish remaining, but stands a good chance of being gold.

Tom

[Colorado]

Tom - Thanks for taking the time to look at them and share your opinion on the forum.

Nice scans and the remaining gold looks exactly as gold as I would expect a Gold CCC to present.