Durocharm USMC/Navy Paratrooper Wings

[Tonomachi]

I have been collecting variations of the USMC/Navy paratrooper wings for many years now and recently picked up one on eBay. I have never come across one of these style wings with a Durocharm hallmark. The incised hallmark reads, "DUROCHARM 10K ON SILVER". There is what looks like remnant's of black paint on the front. Has anyone ever come across one of these? Once I got it in my hand I was a little worried as it just didn't look right. With people taking off clutch backs and replacing them with pin backs I started to look at this piece real close. The parachute has a flatter profile than the other wings of this design. I then compared it with a WW2 era US Army basic pin back paratrooper wing hallmarked, "DUROCHARM N.Y.STERLING". This Army paratrooper wing has a flatter profile than the average Army paratrooper wing and the rear pins looked alike so it made me feel a little bit better. Using a jewelers loop I looked at the sides and could see the striations and the break at the very end where the die stamped this piece so I don't think it is a casting. I was wondering what the membership thought of this wing?

[Tonomachi]

More photos

[Tonomachi]

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[Tonomachi]

Last photo

[Gary Cain]

Looks OK to me. The makers mark matches the Durocharm in my collection.

 

Cheers

Gary

[Tonomachi]

Looks OK to me. The makers mark matches the Durocharm in my collection.

 

Cheers

Gary

 

Appreciate your opinion as it makes me feel better that this is probably the real thing. I've attached scans of the WW2 era Amico USMC/Navy paratrooper wing above the Durocharm USMC/Navy paratrooper wing.

[KASTAUFFER]

Are you sure thats black paint? looks like real old tarnish to me ( a good sign )

 

Kurt

[brian e]

Are you sure thats black paint? looks like real old tarnish to me ( a good sign )

 

Kurt

 

I want to agree with kurt I've seen and owned a few navy pilots wings that have had the same look to them. WOW what a pretty wing brian

[Brig]

the black finish may have been an effort to subdue the wings for field wear

[pfrost]

In general, the wing looks ok to me, BUT....

 

I do not recall seeing a wing that said 10K on SILVER. I would expect it to say 10K on STERLING or more typical, 1/20th10K on STERLING. I think Gary Cain had some good points on an earlier post where he pointed out that the term silver is kind of meaningless in regards to the metal content. It should be marked STERLING or STERLING silver (indicating that it is a certain purity of silver), but simply "silver" really has no specific meaning. This isnt to say that I think the wing is bad, just that the mark is rather confusing. Perhaps I am wrong.

 

I am begining to see the word "silver" on wings that I am starting to believe may NOT be vintage. Again, I dont think anything strikes me as being wrong on your wing.

 

Patrick

[KurtA]

Another red flag is the black "tarnish." That is a sign of artifical toning.

Kurt