Is this 254/42 skull original?

[bwanek1]

Direct vet providence isn't enough for some collectors...

Who has that for a solid silver piece?!

[RobertE]

Bob Coleman sure thought he did. Two hats from that period would have been good enough for me. We can push the date for quality replicas back is far as we want, but the stuff in the 1960's was not made with the high-detail pieces intended to decieve.

[bwanek1]

Bob Coleman sure thought he did. Two hats from that period would have been good enough for me. We can push the date for quality replicas back is far as we want, but the stuff in the 1960's was not made with the high-detail pieces intended to decieve.

You are welcome to rely on Bob's memory being 100% accurate after 40 years as your proof if you wish, but I know my memory isn't capable of recalling such specifics from items I inspected four decades ago. I found it interesting that, when prompted for other details regarding those insignia (maker marks, pin styles, etc.), he could remember none, yet he was still so certain about his recollection that they were solid silver. I think they were more likely simply high quality silver plated/washed insignia which were in near mint condition, retaining all of their original silver finish and giving them the appearance of solid silver. Still, he could be right, but if so, why can no one produce an example today?

[RobertE]

You are welcome to rely on Bob's memory being 100% accurate after 40 years as your proof if you wish, but I know my memory isn't capable of recalling such specifics from items I inspected four decades ago. ...Still, he could be right, but if so, why can no one produce an example today?

My memory isn't that good either. But I remember the size of my first Erel hat, and that was '71 or '72 - couldn't say much more about the rest of the hat, though. That detail stuck - maybe the same with Bob, to whom800 was significant but other details arne't. Can't speculate for a man and circumstance I don't know, really. But one thing is certain: no one can produce one today because either 1) there are no real examples to produce or 2) real examples are rejected as fakes.

Providence is a tough thing to come by these days. Years of fake vets polluting marginal original hauls, treacherous behavior by dealers and collectors alike, "seeding" good groups with the item someone wants in a book - pretty tough indeed.

What would it take to "prove" there existence? Who's to say. I for one believe they are out there (not "tumour-head", perhaps), and will post one when I find one - unless someone beats me to it! s/f Robert