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Is this a Span-Am era EGA


jagjetta
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Greetings,

I am truly out of my element when it comes to EGAs, so thought I would turn to the forum where so many possess so much knowledge!

 

Attached are three images of an EGA that I recently uncovered. From a little research, I think it might be a shoulder device from the 1875-1898 time frame, but it is stamped out of such lightweight material, I have some doubts. Can anyone shed some light on this device?

 

It measures 41mm from tip of anchor to bottom and about 40mm from eagle's beak to bottom of the anchor.

 

I welcome any and all opinions! Thank you so much,

 

John A-G

Jackson, MO USA

post-949-1217257170.jpg

post-949-1217257190.jpg

post-949-1217257199.jpg

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John, you are correct in assuming SW era... these are restrikes, for allot more info on these gems, read this thread. s/f Darrell: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...?showtopic=9168

 

 

Thank you SO MUCH! I suspected that is was not a good piece. Besides the unusually light "heft" of the item the one element that did not impress me is that the wire prongs were cut with a "snip" type of apparatus...that is, pinching the wire to "cut" it leaving an upper and lower bite. The few original period pieces I have seen have only had one angled "bite" rather than two.

 

Have you noticed anything like that in the originals you have examined?

 

Thank you again for taking the time to respond. It is very helpful!

 

John A-G

Jackson, MO USA

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teufelhunde.ret
Besides the unusually light "heft" of the item the one element that did not impress me is that the wire prongs were cut with a "snip" type of apparatus...that is, pinching the wire to "cut" it leaving an upper and lower bite. The few original period pieces I have seen have only had one angled "bite" rather than two.

 

OPS, that caveat is now out of the bag. Yes your observation is one of the is initial methods of separating the good from the bad. s/f Darrell

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Here's an original 1892 pair, posted elsewhere on the forum: these actually are very thin silver. Notice that the ends of the prongs are tapered like a pin.

 

ega1900.jpg

 

ega1900back.jpg

 

ega1900backbig.jpg

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That is so interesting to see a real set and how the wires are cut and attached. There is no mistaking the difference between origianls and the reproductions! Thank you so much!

 

John

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That is so interesting to see a real set and how the wires are cut and attached. There is no mistaking the difference between origianls and the reproductions! Thank you so much!

 

John

 

Obviously the one you pictured and the one I showed are not the same style, but they purport to be the same era and this does illustrate what I once told someone who asked how to tell valuable old glass from newer and/or cheaper stuff. My basic answer was "it looks better."

 

That does seem to be true with EGA's as well. The real ones with real aging just have a look to them that fakes and reproductions do not. There's a guy who sells fake EGAs on the web and at militaria shows and I've seen in stuff in person and on webpages and it all has a look to it that none of the real ones do. Those ones I showed (which are circa 1892 I now know) came in a collection i bought that had a baggie with 15 EGAs in it. I had no idea what that pair was but without even looking at the back I could tell they were something special.

 

It's worth the time to just read through our EGA reference section and the general EGA discussions on fakes to help develop an eye for the real thing. As with any collectible there are always pieces that generate debate even among the "experts" but can it be fairly easy to learn how to weed out most of the fake styles making the rounds. I know there is often concern about the fakers getting better at their craft but I think they make enough money fleecing the uneducated that they don't want to go to the extra expense of trying to better emulate the real thing.

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