French style S-boat badge original?

[aktinium]

Mod note:

Missing all attachments to this post.

[W. C. Stump]

Reverse of the French 1st type E-Boat.

[Frank Heukemes]

Would everyone sharpen their eyes a bit and tell us what they really see on aktiniums pictures?

This thread shouldn´t be about everybody showing their Bacqueville badge but helping aktinium with his badge.

Good or bad? Marcus said good, so we have one opinion here so far. More?

Cheers, Frank

[Lorenzo Brown]

Using the attached pictures as examples of what I think are authentic, I would
have to say that I don't like the badge. Obverse design doesn't match and the
hinge and pin assemblies aren't what I've seen before on the French badges.
Quality of the material looks poor and the gilding spots on the reverse look suspicious to me.

I could be wrong because I do not own one of these in-hand to be sure.

[MH184]

I'll stick to my guns on this one, there are small differences between Bill's and mine....... the plate under the catch is evident on some and not on others, variations do exist to some lesser or greater degree. I believe this hinge, catch and pin are the distinctive 'style' of the 'so called' French war badges.

Aktinium's badge follows suite to my novice mind of being genuine, the catch with no circular plate is acceptable, the top hook, looks fine, the width and style of pin I think looks ok, a better pic could confirm it better though. The hinge is correct, there is a destroyers badge pic on another thread which is just like it and you can see the plate under the hinge on Aktinium's.

The rough reject looking bump at the bottom, looks similar to that of a known original, Bill's and mine don't look 101% the same here, but both our badges are original.

The area behind the eagle, looks fine to me also, purely from observation against a limited number of pic's on the forum.

I can't see anything wrong the obverse of the badge, the eagle looks a mm taller than mine and slightly more narrow, these were I presume finished off by hand with a file so they may all differ to some extent. Closer pic's need to be taken of the eagle and swas and compare to that of an original badges details.

They do fake these French badges with the French badge style hinges according to Gordon Williamson, does anyone have a picture of one please, it would really help.

Bill Stump and Prosper Keating own several of these badges.........what do you guys think ?

A bit bit of a poor explanation from me, and my picture comparison went up the spout but what the hell............anyone else care to share their thoughts. I think it's a genuine badge.

Kind regards,

Marcus

[David R.]

I have a eboat of French origan and the hinge and catch are different. The over all quality is no were near the one I have OR the other French badges I have. So IMO I would not want it I think it a repo.

[W. C. Stump]

Some of the French badges have the round disc under the "C" catch and some don't. I have a ser and three do and three don't.

My Auxiliary Cruiser badge, U- Boat badge and Fleet Service badge have the disc.

[W. C. Stump]

Destroyer's "C" catch.

[Frank Heukemes]

Dear Bill,

From your picture I would assume your French Destroyer also has the little plate under the catch, it is just "disguised" under the solder. Could that be true?

Cheers, Frank

[W. C. Stump]

If a disc is under the "C" catch is is Very tiny. I personally don't think it is anything except a large solder blob.

[W. C. Stump]

Another Angle.

[Frank Heukemes]

Thanks, Bill, now I can see it as well, no catch plate there, just solder.

Cheers, Frank

[Frank Heukemes]

I visited Aktinium, who posted the badge in question, last week and inspected that very badge and told him it was a reproduction. That´s why I held back with my opinion, because Aktinium already knew my thoughts and wanted to get some other opinions.

Here is what I thought:

Obverse lower half outer rim of badge:
-bubbly excess material from a casting
-slightly weaker obverse detail compared to originals
-strange finish

Reverse:

-thickness of top hook wrong (too thick), also it is strangely shaped.
-catch wrong
-shape of pin wrong (you would be able to see this better if a straight on view reverse shot would have been included)
-thickness of pin WAY wrong, much too thick
-hinge close, but wrong
-on hinge sit strange excess material blobs, never encountered on original French E-Boat badges.
-pock marks

Cheers, Frank

PIN thickness on an original

[Frank Heukemes]

Hinge of an original

[Frank Heukemes]

overall pin shape