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AnEGA but what Era


Dirk
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Here is one that I am looking for help in dating....Gary looked at it and thought given the large size of the Eagle's head it was SpanAm...others not on this site throught later....I'll include front and reverse images, although I am sorry they are a bit darker then I would like....traces of gilt remain on the reverse near the screw post. Darrell? J: have you come across anything recently like this one?

1893_001A.jpg

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teufelhunde.ret

Edit note: these post's have been extracted from a previous thread in the reference section for insertion in this thread. All comments and photo's are from Gary Mohrlang in Feb 2007.

 

When I first started collecting EGA's 25-30 years ago, much more advanced and knowledgeable collectors broke this particular EGA pattern down into seperate categories and eras.

 

The silver or nickle pattern was first introduced in 1892, for wear on the enlisted epaulettes of that period. This type EGA is very thin stamped nickle and has prong backs. I might add that this thinly stamped pattern is heavily faked today, thus eBay auction prices of only $20-$30 being realized on many of the prong backs.

 

m1892_nickel_prong_fr.jpg

m1892_nickel_prong_rev.jpg

 

Sometime later, possibly 1897, the screw back version in nickle was first used on the cover. It is possible that the prong back emblems were also used on the cover, as many have been found on 1897-1904 covers, but no absolute proof that this was the original intention of the Marine? These covers are usually found with a screw post hole poked through where the emblem would have been located and then the prong back emblem applied over the hole. Your guess is as good as mine as to whether this was an original application for the prong backs or a later addition?

 

m1892_nickel_screw_fr.jpg

m1892_nickel_screw_rev.jpg

 

 

Edit note: this was Gary's next post

Next is the M1904 "Dress" cover emblem. Identical in every way to the earlier M1892 and M1897 nickle prong back and screw post emblems, this M1904 pattern was used until 1914 when that pattern was adopted, or the one we all know as the WWI period emblem.

m1904_dress_fr.jpg

m1904_dress_rev.jpg

 

There was also the M1904 "Service" cover emblem. Identical to the dress version and earlier nickle emblems, this emblem is thought by many to have been adopted as late as 1908. I personally believe it was adopted at the same time as the dress version.

 

If anyone is still confused? GOOD! Welcome to the club! :unsure: It will be refreshing to see the new 700 page, two volume reference that's in the works, to see how close we all were. Any further information on it, Dirk?

Gary

 

Edit note: this was Gary's next post

Here are some images of EGA's from my collection on the different patterns I have just discussed.

 

Two slightly different, thinly stamped nickel "prong back" versions for the epaulettes. Both are missing a set of prongs or loops. One has straight wire prongs while the other has the straight prongs looped and soldered.

 

m1904_service_fr.jpg

m1904_service_rev.jpg

 

The well polished and well worn nickle screw back version for the cover. The M1904 pattern emblems mentioned in my previous post.

Gary

 

Edit note: this was Gary's final post to this thread

Two slightly different variations of the M1904 "Dress" emblem.

 

The M1904 "Service" emblem.

 

To add a little more confusion to the pile, here is another pattern EGA that is attributed to the same period or SpanAm War. This pattern has been misidentified more times than I care to think about. It has been identified as the M1891, M1899, M1902, M1904 and by Orgel as the M1908. Sometimes on eBay, even as the M1914-22. My personal feelings on this is that it was a seperate pattern, but worn during the same period of late 1800's, early 1900's up until the M1904 pattern was adopted. It has been found in Marine China "Boxer Rebellion" groupings and SpanAm Marine groupings, so I have split the difference in ID's and simply refer to it as the M1900 pattern "bird" until I get a definitive answer.

 

What are other opinions on this pattern?

Gary

 

Images of the M1900 pattern "Dress" and "Service" emblems from my collection.

 

m1900_rev.jpg

m1900_fr.jpg

 

Edit note: these post's have been extracted from a previous thread in the reference section for insertion in this thread. All comments and phot's are from Gary Mohrlang in Feb 2007.

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teufelhunde.ret

Dirk, am wondering if you chose to post this with intent... as I have been trying to figure out for months, how to get Gary's post's out from beneath DD's starting thread. Thank you......! s/f Darrell

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Darrell: Purely by accident but I think Gary would be pleased to have the post moved

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(P.S. Corrected spelling error - BG)

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teufelhunde.ret
Darrell: Purely by accident but I think Gray would be pleased to have the post moved

 

Yup, I'm sure he's looking down on us right now with a big smile upon his face thumbsup.gif

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