Luftwaffe Bomber Clasp in Bronze Confirmation

[5ribbonbar]

I have posted this Luftwaffe Bomber Clasp in Bronze with a Gottlieb COA on the e-stand. Just to be sure as I have had some interest it, I want to make sure it is okay.

Any opinions are appreciated.

The link is : http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=645371

CHeers,

Glen

[5ribbonbar]

A few more...

[5ribbonbar]

No comments yet....are more photos needed ?

Cheers,

Glen

[Thomas Durante]

Hi Glen,

While it looks terrible, I feel the clasp is original. Its a later-war zinker with apparently no finish left on it (or just faded to an olive-drab color which is known to happen).

Not sure about the pin, could be a replacement because it looks a good bit different than the rest of the hardware.....but probably just worn and OK.

All in all, an original that has seen better days.

Tom

[5ribbonbar]

Thanks Tom ! Terrible perhaps...but beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

I think it is just the lighting in my photo when it comes to the pin arm...in person its wear and patina fit the rest of the badge.

Cheers,
Glen

[Thomas Durante]

Hi Glen,

Can you open the pin up and take a few more shots of the hinge and catch. Also interested in seeing closeups of the rivet, and if the reverse has the typical "o" marking on it (this is an S&L clasp, but I don't see the mark on it which is weird).

Thanks

Tom

[5ribbonbar]

A few more quick shots...I can take more after work today if required.

Cheers,

Glen

[5ribbonbar]

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[Thomas Durante]

Hi Glen,

Thanks for the additional shots. The more I see, the more I don't like it. It is for sure an S&L design, but the quality is really lacking compared with other S&L clasps. Furthermore, it is not even known if the well-made clasps are wartime produced (although some of them probably are due to them being found on the postwar souvenier boards). This clasp is much more poorly produced in comparison, so I would put it in a later time frame than most of the S&L clasps we see.

The hardware doesn't remind me of S&L at all. Same with the rivet, not typical of S&L. The only thing I really like about it is the base metal of the clasp and the bomb. Both seems to be in line with late-war production, but here again S&L typically used high quality zinc. Even on the clasps that we are sure are post-war produced by S&L, the quality and detail is still very, very good (and heads above this clasp you show).

One possibity to consider is that this clasp was NOT made by S&L, but maybe another firm located in Ludenscheid. That would explain why the obverse design matches, but why we don't see the "o" mark on the reverse (like we typically see on S&L bombers). Because this badge doesn't have the 'O' mark, it suggests that a different reverse die was used....and could mean that a different maker was involved.

Certainly some mysteries to solve here.

Tom