Painting in the eagle

[ciritione]

Hi,
this is my second question in the forum and I hope that it has't been answered before. At least, I have not been able to find it.

I have a Reconnaissance Clasp in Gold with the painting of the eagle erased and I have been finding the same in others reconnaissance clasps, until now, 5 or 6 clasps I have seen with this same incident.

Was usual erasing the painting? Why?

[ciritione]

This is a pic of the clasp

[Frank Heukemes]

Hi ciritione,

Welcome!
If you scrutinize the blackening of these eagle applications very closely on well preserved examples, you will find that it is not a color (as in paint) but a "Br******252;nierung" (same procedure as gunblueing basically) which made the eagle look black in the crevices. This "Br******252;nierung" is not to last long on worn examples, even less than an actual black color would last. Color can chip or get rubbed off, a Br******252;nierung can additionally to those two factors of destruction also fade away. It is also the first thing to disappear if one dips an award finsihed that way into silver dip. After only a few seconds, it is gone forever.

[Gene]

Plus it looks like a very nice, original clasp!