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Interesting Frog Skin Cover on Ebay


Justin
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I found this cover on ebay, which looks to definitly be marked with an early 60's style contract, there's lots of photos of Marines using frog skin covers in VN, could there have been another run in the early 60's of frog skin covers? A restamped cover? Can anyone shed any light on this cover?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-WWII-US-M...=item2ec0eba2df

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The identical one i have, i bought long before the repros were even getting close to looking good......my theory is they were the last batch before the big switch to Mitchell camo covers......and i couldnt help myself and snagged the one on ebay too!....will post pics when it gets here and my other one too.....mike

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craig_pickrall

I have been thinking about this cover for a few hours now. i think I have finally figured it out. I compared the data to the first two Mitchell pattern covers.

 

Those first two Mitchell covers had Project # 5501 dated 4/2/59 and 5850 dated 12/10/59.

 

This cover has Contract # 5432 but no date.

 

If a project number and a contract number are the same thing then the Frog Skin cover was made before 4/2/59 and probably in late 1958 or very early 1959.

 

The FSN number came into use in 1957 and continued until 1975.

 

Please add your thoughts so we can arrive at a good conclusion on this.

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I totally agree with you Craig and Justin, ive just never been able to precisely narrow it down like you have!!.....the cover i have had for many years has very faded markings but im sure they are the same as the one i just bought on ebay, if i remember correctly someone else had one too that was posted a few years back when i posted mine, will have to try to find that old thread!....in the meantime, here are some pics of the cover ive had for many years now.....and i will post some pics of the new arrival as soon as it gets here.....the cover is identical to WWII covers except the thread used in the center seam stitching and flap edge stitching and folliage slits is a green thread instead of khaki.....mike

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combat-helmets

I am really intrigued by this! I have never seen a cover stamped like that, and as far as everything I have know or read, the 1953 dated covers from Anchor Coverall Co, were the last production runs of the Frogskin pattern covers. Now this... :think: :think: :think:

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the South Korean Marines wore frog skin pattern camo in Vietnam, maybe it was a special foreign contract?

 

Hey Bolo that sure looks like a Mitchell cover he's wearin?

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combat-helmets

I keep coming back to this thread because I am completely intrigued. If this is infact, a late pattern run right before the 1959 contract for the Mitchell covers began, than this would rewrite the collectors references, because I have NEVER seen this type of marking on a Frog Skin cover, not have I ever seen it discussed before this thread, and that includes authors, noted collectors and publications..... :think:

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I agree, it's a missing link that no one knew was missing. I assume it was made from existing stocks (?) before the Mitchell pattern was approved. But is that an Army contract stamp? Then two contracts for the 1959 USMC Mitchell covers... then they were issued to both Army and USMC in the early 1960s? I'm not sure I understand the order that this would have taken, or exactly how contracts were issued to the different branches.

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combat-helmets

I work for a Government contractor, and different service branches have their own contracts, so that is not an issue

I can't see the contract number on the subject cover to check against the ( very excellent) contract cover reference here on the forum.

If I can get a clean shot of the stamp, I would like to do some research to see what comes up..

 

The fact this is on a FROG SKIN cover leads me to think this is a USMC contract.

As with the Mitchell covers, there were two separate contracts in 1959 for the first run of the Mitchell covers. Those were exclusive to the Marine Corps.

 

After the cover was adopted by the other services, then you see the various contracts beginning in the early 60's

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I work for a Government contractor, and different service branches have their own contracts, so that is not an issue

I can't see the contract number on the subject cover to check against the ( very excellent) contract cover reference here on the forum.

If I can get a clean shot of the stamp, I would like to do some research to see what comes up..

 

The fact this is on a FROG SKIN cover leads me to think this is a USMC contract.

As with the Mitchell covers, there were two separate contracts in 1959 for the first run of the Mitchell covers. Those were exclusive to the Marine Corps.

 

After the cover was adopted by the other services, then you see the various contracts beginning in the early 60's

 

Here is a shot of a cover that I have. I tried to get a close up photo of the contract number. This is also a frog skin cover, post WWII.

post-6287-1345110497.jpg

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It sure is great to see someone else with one of these!....and thats very interesting that the contract number is the same as a Mitchell cover.......so, the cover from ebay arrived today, looks just like my other one with same contract info and the seam chain stitching and edge stitching has OD green thread intertwined with khaki thread , also has the green thread on the foliage slits, heres a few detailed pics......thanks....mike

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