Fantasy, Repro, & Counterfeit EGA Reference Thread

[Leatherneck72]

In my humble opinion, this is a well made repro. I have owned dozens of original uniforms and disc sets over the years, and the real ones never look like these. You sometimes see this style with unit numbers affixed to them....those are also fantasy.

[usmcaviator]

Bill,

Yes the seller knows better and has been selling/collecting USMC for some time, hopefully he is watching. We all get taken, in some form, at some time. Thanks for sharing so we can all learn.

 

Mike

[USMCRECON]

I saw this EGA on eBay yesterday. It is item #110179286133 and is listed as a "U.S. MARINE WW1 FRENCH HYBRID EGA WWI....."

 

I have a very similar one that was identified by forum members as a fantasy EGA. I assume this is also a fantasy EGA.

 

[teufelhunde.ret]

Hey Bill, yes it is one of the fantasy types that have been around for some time. It has also been said these initially were created as a reunion emblem after WW1... perhaps this is just part of the mystic of their history. Here is a link to the ref sec were you can see others that are just as popular with the Sellers whom represent these are the real McCoy

 

s/f Darrell

[bobgee]

Darn!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just missed this pair of "RARE" egas, found in the pocket of an old army blouse up in the Chambersburg, PA area. see at 110176059440. Both sold for $249. Never fear though, he has another,  a "U.S. MARINE French Hybrid EGA USMC emblem" also found in the pocket of af an old army blouse. Some guys are just lucky, I guess! See it at 110179286133. Seller sez he doesn't know much about USMC emblems. Probably can get this real cheap. Has had it validated at the Military Museum in Gettysburg, PA as GEN-U-INE and WORTH THOUSANDS!!!!!!!Make sure you know about them 'HYBRID' French USMC emblems or you might end an unhappy sucessful bidder!!!!!!!!!!!!! Check it out with my old buddy, "Ca. V. At. EMPTOR"

 

Semper Fi......Bobgee

[GLM]

My honest opinion is it's a complete cast fake, just like all the other fakes of this type that have been discussed before. I believe Bob G. posted an identical fake bronze service emblem a while back that exhibits every characteristic as this one, minus the Meyer shield hallmark. The rope fouling, anchor flukes, globe and eagle are all wrong for this type of Meyer emblem and it would appear to be one from the same family of fakes that USNUSA is peddling. The flukes and rope fouling are a dead giveaway of his junk! The hallmark alarms me, because the fakers have now taken their fakery one step further. Another thing that bothers me is the fact that this seller pretty much sticks with selling only USMC, so why is he saying that he hasn't seen this type of emblem before and doesn't know what it is? That just sounds plain fishy to me, as if he's trying the innocent seller ploy. I also notice he doesn't give a money back guarantee or return policy, so why mess with it?

 

Gary

[GLM]

I wanted everyone to compare an absolutely known fake emblem from the ripoff seller USNUSA and this dress "Gooney". Please check out the rope fouling style and especially the details from both anchors, including flukes, stocks, shanks and ridges. There is no doubt in my mind that both of these emblems were made by the same crook!

 

Gary

[GLM]

Bob,

 

While some would say this is a nice looking emblem, and I'll admit it does have some attractiveness and workmanship to it, I just have a hard time getting past the part where it was made to deceive, and I'm sorry to say, someone is going to getted burned big time on it. It took me a little while to find Bob G's fake service emblem post and leaving the anchors out of it, the rest of the comparison in both emblems look like a match. Notice that funky cast globe with funky raised lines. Can't really call them latitude and longitude lines, so I'll just call them funky raised lines. The rope fouling is very similar, right down to the solder points of the end of ropes on the flukes. The eagles also look like a match, with the same amount of wear to the chests, but nowhere else. To me, it looks like the faker is mixing and matching parts and metals and trying to get it right with spot on emblems, and now we have that scary Meyer logo stamp to add to the "what to watch for" list.

 

Gary

[bobgee]

Gary you nailed it! It's more of the same "good-looking" crap we've seen before. Sadly it's at $800 this AM with 3 days to go. 

Semper Fi.............Bobgee

[GLM]

A real shame, Bob. I think that Meyer hallmark the faker has added is going to cause many problems for unknowing bidders in the future.

 

s/f, Gary

[themick]

I'd just like to say here I agree entirely with what Gary has to say. Since I made a couple of bad purchases from this USNUSA guy, and discussed them with Gary, I've been paying close attention to his stuff, and others. And frankly, I've never seen those funky lines on any real EGA. This one on EBay is a BAD piece.

 

Steve

[teufelhunde.ret]

Well MrMrc is at it again... this time with a new repo, appears to be a WW2 Meyer? I have no doubt these will take on a new purpose once they are out of his hands... http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-USMC-EGA-Officer-...1QQcmdZViewItem

[teufelhunde.ret]

This "thing" showed up on ebay this morning... butt ugly!!! Someone's attempt at fakery?

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...A:IT&ih=012

[teufelhunde.ret]

OK folks ready for the grand debut, USNUSA has rolled out for our viewing pleasure another new design. Should be a hit in 08'

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...A:IT&ih=006

[SteveR]

Looks like it has had its wing clipped. I do not like the gesture position of the bird, looks like it is frightened. This should be called the brokedik eagle.

Steve

[jeremiahcable]

Hmmm, the '08 model sucks. Looks like some sort of jacked up hybrid of two different types.

[Brig]

he even lists it as enlisted when there's a seperately attached rope....

 

I'll take 8!

[Brig]

this is being on eBay now as a repro, cast, luckily you can tell from the shoddy background. Just be alert out there. Item number 200192801198 and 200192800872

[Brig]

370018122706

 

what do you guys think of this monstrous looking thing?

[teufelhunde.ret]

It is horrible... he claims its sterling too. The real shame is you can get a Stokes/Bannerman restrike for not much more, if your not impetuous.

[GLM]

I hate to see known fakes being made with the fold-over and soldered prongs instead of the straight prongs. Until today, I thought maybe a person could still acquire a nice original piece for their collection with these folded over prongs, but guess not.

 

s/f, Gary

[bobgee]

This MrMac guy puts out some scary repro insignia (fortunately this is not one of them), particularly wing badges which are good enough to fool a novice. He uses legitimate company hallmarks such as Tiffany and doesn't mark his stuff as "copy". Don't know how he gets away with it.

Bobgee

[GLM]

I found it hilarious

 

Tim,

 

From the photos supplied, the eagle could be laughable or hilarious. The folded over and soldered prongs are not! Until today, I thought that piece of information about not seeing folded over prongs on fakes, or folded over prongs being a good sign of originality could help a newer collector find an original in this pattern. It certainly tells me that the fakers are paying attention and listening to what is said, possibly here, on how to try and determine originals from fakes. While I'm all for trying to help the newer collectors save their hard earned money by showing them the pitfalls, it really chaps me to see the fakers using the same information to line their pockets. Man, this seller is truely disgusting vermin!

 

s/f, Gary

[Brig]

this was on eBay a few days back, didn't grab the auction number...

[Bob Hudson]

They ended up selling for $330: http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-U-S-MARINE-BINOCU...emZ220195646008