Engraved Gold Star Mother & Father Pins

[Wharfmaster]

Picked up this pair of engraved Gold Star Mother and Father pins at an antique show.

 

Note that both have initials engraved and the Father's pin is a clutch back. Sadly, no Purple Heart with them.

 

This is only the second Gold Star pair that I have found. Most often, you find one or the other.

 

 

W

[Wharfmaster]

Reverse

[cutiger83]

What a wonderful pair! I have never seen engraved ones. Thanks so much for posting these.

 

...Kat

[Wharfmaster]

Thanks Kat, most welcome.

[hink441]

Very nice!! I have some engraved ones but I have never seen a matching PAIR !!

 

Chris

[firefighter]

I have a few of these and one came with a Purple Heart.Are the initials suppose to be those of the parents/relatives or those of the service member KIA?

[kriegsmodell]

The engraved initials are those of the Mother, Father, or other surviving family member. Have been researching these a bit.

 

And great set Wharfmaster .....

[KASTAUFFER]

There are also examples with hand engraved initials. They tend to be the earlier issued ones. I've had these with the original transmittal letters from the PQMD.

 

Kurt

[hink441]

Here is one I own, I think it is hand engraved.

 

[firefighter]

There is also a later Gold Star pin, I dated think 1972?

[HistoryNut]

Very nice! Other than them being engraved with the veteran's parents' initials, is there a difference between a Mother and Father Gold Star pin? Were these pins officially mailed to all the NOK of KIAs? Are all that are engraved done so privately? I just purchased a Korean War KIA group and there are two of these pins. The group is in the mail and now I can't wait to see if the pins may be engraved.

Thanks for sharing!

[kriegsmodell]

There is also a later Gold Star pin, I dated think 1972?

 

 

There are only two versions that I am aware of. They are both nearly identical in appearance especially to the obverse. Both are marked on the reverse United States of America and Act of Congress.

 

- The first version has the date 1 August 1947 under the US of A. The markings on the 1947 examples will be impressed/incised and can be found in both pin back and clutch back configuration.

 

- The second version is dated only August 1966 under the US of A. The markings on the 1966 examples will generally be impressed/incised but occasionally can be found with raised text. Some of the 1966 pieces are also maker marked and/or marked 1/10 10K GF. All of the 1966 examples that I have observed are clutch back.

[kriegsmodell]

Well, as soon as you commit to something like an authority you'll be wrong most every time. Just went back through my notes and discovered that there are pin back versions of the 1966 pin. Too late to edit the post #12 so adding this information as a revision.

 

- Both the 1947 and 1966 versions can be found in pin back as well as clutch back configuration.

 

I regret the error.

[HistoryNut]

I'd mentioned in my earlier post that I had a Korean War KIA group in the mail. Well it arrived and to my surprise, the Gold Star pins are for the veteran's Mother and Father and both are engraved. Oddly enough, the Mother's pin is pin back and the Father's is clutch back...just like Wharfmaster's pair.

[kriegsmodell]

 

Another very nice set. Either style of back attachment was available upon request. The forms had an area for indicating the initials to be engraved as well as the style of backing preferred.

[Garandomatic]

Very neat. I have a set that belonged to distant relatives. Their son was with the 2nd Armored and from all I can tell, drowned during a river crossing.