High Seas Fleet Concerns

[Larry Lipps]

A friend may have learned the value of posting before you purchase. He recently picked up this high seas fleet and and has real concerns about its originality. He'd like to get some opinions so he can print this thread and take it with him in case he has to return the badge. I'm sure he'd appreciate several replies just to make sure there's plenty of ammo in his clip. Any comments would be much appreciated.

[Larry Lipps]

And the reverse,

[Larry Lipps]

The hinge and maker's mark.

[George Stimson]

I think that your friend should be concerned about that badge. I notice many dissimilarities between it and my RS&S HSF.

[Frank Heukemes]

Oh yes, unfortunately that is a well known fake. Original RS&S HSF badges are exclusively made of zinc and have a variation of 4 different ball hinge setups albeit all original setups are different from the one on the reproduction. Some other things which are wrong with the repro:

-wrong modern white metal
-pin bends like butter under finger pressure
-gilding is just colour which comes off easily

If your friend does a search for RS&S HSF I am sure many threads about this fake and original badges will come up.

[John T]

I agree with all the points...good looking badge though..makes me wonder what they can do if the same guys decide to reproduce a Bock.

[MH184]

Here's a genuine one.

[MH184]

reverse.

[John T]

That badge is superb Marcus!! Thanks for sharing.

[Darrell]

Marcus ... where did you find this beauty?

[Indy]

Humm... Hinge and ctach are different....

[MH184]

It was found in a Berlin house clearance in the packet and a medal outlet box !

One of our frequent and prominent members sold it to me, I was very lucky to buy this. This is the only badge I hold with my old NBC gloves inner.

Thank you very much for the compliments.

Kr

Marcus

[scott3000]

yep

Definitely a fake a fell for the exact same badge 5 years ago, in fact if I didnt still have it stored away I would say it is mine

[Larry Lipps]

Thanks for a lot of good information Guys. I don't think he'll have a problem returning it, but nothing like having a little backup. This is really a well constructed fake, and without a little assistance from you guys, I'd probably have fallen for it myself.

[Lorenzo Brown]

Hi Larry. As already said, the badge is a fake for the reasons stated and I believe by the same makers of the "FO" Destroyer badge with the horizontal flat pin set-up.

The makers of these badges should be hung by their balls because they are very deceiving facsimiles that will be fooling uninformed collectors for many years!