Vanguard pin back US Army aviator wings......

[Flightpath]

Hi,

can you please give me some idea of the time period these pin back wings would have been used, I thought they might be 1960s?

 

cheers, John

[Flightpath]

Hi,

I just found an October 2015 post from Sabrejet, he has a simular set of Vanguard wings, the conclusion was that due to it's hallmark and lack of alphanumeric code is that these would be of the "first generation" beginning in 1950 when the wings were authorised, I would like anyone with more information on this topic to please join in.

cheers, John

[pfrost]

I think that is probably a good bet--sometime in the 50's or 60's would seem reasonable.

[Kimo]

This design wing was approved for US Army aviators on July 27, 1950 so that sets the earliest it could be. I agree that it seems to be sometime from the 1950s to the 1960s. My guess is that even though it does not have an alphanumeric code you sometimes see on Vanguard wings, the fact that this is not sterling makes me want to include the first half 1960s along with the 1950s as a possible age.

[Flightpath]

Hi,

just a quick question on the material used in this type of wing (not marked 'STERLING')...... are wings that are not stamped 'STERLING' only silver plated or are there solid silver wings that are not stamped 'STERLING'?

cheers, John

[Kimo]

Being made of sterling silver is an enormous selling point to show quality and it is a critical marking for the company that is selling it to obtain a much higher price that cannot be achieved with silver plated items. For a maker to not mark something sterling that is actually sterling would be very unlikely. And testing for silver using the acid test would be meaningless since silver plated items have silver on their surface and would give a positive result for being silver. The only way for the acid test to show an accurate result is to cut deeply down into the metal and put the acid on the metal at the core of the object to see what result comes from that metal. I do not recommend this at all since it is quite destructive to the wing. The easiest way to do a reliable test is the specific gravity method, but that take a bit of equipment and knowledge on how to use it. A wing without a sterling marking should be assumed to be base metal with a silver plating.

[Flightpath]

Thanks for the information Kimo.

- John

[firefighter]

I have the same wings; Basic & senior. I have always thought 50ss-early 60s era. If I remember right the pin ups 90 degrees and the wings are not pierced near the shield, solid back.