B. Pasquale & Co.

[teufelhunde.ret]

Started in 1854 at 103 Fifth Avenue B. and 115-1 17 Post St. San Francisco, B. PASQUALE COMPANY (Benoit Pasquale) were the only manufacturers of "Army and Navy Equipments and Uniforms" on the pacific coast. Their motto was "Quality and Fit Guaranteed". They soon branched out into all areas of militaria, and Masonic, Park Service to name a few other forays. And through the early 1900's had few others that rivaled their diversity and quality. Very little information is found outside of the period catalogs and I am not positive, but, I believe they were absorbed by others after WW2. Hopefull someone can fill-in that information and more on this thread.

 

Pictured here are a pair of EGA's for the Officer's dress service collar's. These made made around 1908 of before. And very difficult to find in pair's.

[teufelhunde.ret]

Here is a Naval Cap badge in the collection of our own "Dave"

[teufelhunde.ret]

A button from for a woman uniform serving in the Womens Army Auxillery Drivers Corps, from the collection of our own "Gary Cain"

[teufelhunde.ret]

Another Naval Cap Badge, from the collection of "Harrier9601"

[FrankEaton01]

Here's another variation with a "P" inside of a diamond on a Navy officer's cap device.

[linasl]

Greetings. I have an "opportunity" to buy an airship pilot wing badge from "Pasquale B & Co" I am not an expert on these AT ALL. I provide three photos. Any opinions? Thank you. Linas

[Brig]

from the collection of teufelhunde.ret

[Brig]

from an eBay auction...hard to see the mark in the top of the anchors

[pconrad02]

Greetings. I have an "opportunity" to buy an airship pilot wing badge from "Pasquale B & Co" I am not an expert on these AT ALL. I provide three photos. Any opinions? Thank you. Linas

From the ASMIC site..

The Mystery of the Pasquali & Co. Sterling Airship Wings

I have been trying to track down the original of these wings for several years. The following is my theory:

This wing was purchased several years ago on eBay, It came out of the western part of the US. This was the first one I found on eBay , since then I have seen several more. At first they all came out of the west, now they are seen all over the US. A set of these also turned up in a 30 year old collection.

I have held 3 of these, and each one had a different pin. A collector friend who had access to a spectrometer (?) had a set analyzed and apparently the silver was of a type used in the 40's. The construction is correct, soldered posts and they are die struck. The wings are very heavy.

The first thing that jumps out is the spelling "Pasquali " of which I can find no reference NOT "Pasquale" which is a known wing maker. Also the wing I have has a very light weight pin, the wing from the older collection has a heavier pin, the third wing had different wing from the other two.

Finally, I was a set of these being sold by a seller who was selling the old stock of an shop from the "House of Swords". Apparently this store commissioned a lot of incredibly well made fakes of all types, lot of Nazi items and WWI wings. Though yet another collector, I discovered that apparently a family member has been selling this old stock on eBay through an intermediary.

I know that there is a lot conjecture here on my part, but the facts seem to add up. A collector buy one of these in the late 70's early 80's, nice pin. The owner of the House of Swords dies suddenly, and these wings disappear from the market. A family member starts "cleaning out the basement" and these wings resurface, possibly without pins. Pins are added with what ever is handy, and they start showing up on the market.