499/41 skull to look at

[Felix]

Hello friends!

I have this SS cap skull for you to view. As usually all remarks are welcome!

Cheers,

Felix

[Felix]

Back....

[SScollector]

Typical cast repro!

Best, Chris

[Felix]

I respect your knowledge Chris. Thanks. Please pm me if you like with details why its fake Especially why you think its cast. Or if you want to post here.. For me its not that obvious, but I want to learn.

More commets?

Cheers,

Felix

[BenVK]

It's because the casting process has left these ridges on the back....I think

[ReichsHeini]

You should also note the "orange peel" like surface on the rear of the skull. This effect is not seen in stamped pieces, which appearb much smoother!

Jerry

[Felix]

Well, Im sorry for the poor and unsharp photos, but can they do this kind of castings in brass? Mine is sharper than you can see in the photos. It has got really sharp details both on front and on back and doesnt look like any other cast repro ive seen.

I post another skull that got comments as being original.... I hope the original owner of this photo forgives me... Be we need to find the truth

[bwanek1]

The first skull is a cast fake and the second one is a die-struck original. There are two original 499/41 pin styles (neither has round pins like the reproduction above). One original style is the second skull you posted. It has short, flat pins with cone attachments. The other original pin style is like this one. It has longer flat pins with crimp attachments. Both styles were made with various materials. In my opinion, the lines Chris pointed to are not a good indicator or originality, as similar lines appear on originals as well (as you can see in these photos).

Brad

[Felix]

Gentlemen!

You have convinced me! This one is going back!
Thanks everybody for the help

Its good to test your abilities and to be wrong sometimes! We become better from this..and see what happens when you take a small step out of your own field of knowledge.. youre a bit lost

Cheers,

Felix

[bwanek1]

Its good to test your abilities and to be wrong sometimes!

You need only look at another recent thread to see that I was completely wrong in my initial assessment of some other insignia. Lord knows I am far from perfect. However, with regard to these 499/41 skulls, I am about as certain as I can possibly be. I have little fear of contradiction here.

Best,
Brad

[SScollector]

Brad, I did not point out the circles around the cones as being incorrect.
You are right, in that they appear on all original 499/41 skulls,
(this includes both pin attachment variations).

The most noticeable incorrect aspects of this skull are one: the outer
edge, (when looking at the back side), is way too thick, and two:
the cones are cast and messed up as you can see.
They look nothing like the proper cones which appear on the original
posted here with the short pins, (which are also proper for the cone
attachment 499/41 variation).
However, the front side of these repros are the best skull repros
that I have seen. I have examined them in the flesh and they are very heavy,
but look great from the front side.

Best,
Chris

[Felix]

Chris;

Yes youre right! Its a heavy skull and has virtually no traces of being cast on th front. Scaring.

Thanks,

Felix

[bwanek1]

Sorry, Chris. I incorrectly attributed Ben's comment regarding the ridges as being yours.

[BenVK]

Sorry chaps, it wasn't the circles I was referring to as being wrong, it's the roughness of these areas that I marked out that show evidence of the casting process.