A Chinese(?) OSS Wing

[Patchcollector]

Hi all,
I came across this Wing on eBay and because these are seldom seen wanted to post it here.All thoughts comments opinions,etc.. are welcome!

 

 

Here is the sellers' description:

These bronze wings were given to the Chinese Commandos upon completing basic parachutist training, and to the OSS operators who trained them. The wings are in excellent condition for their age. The Chinese characters and serial number are sharp and strong. I am also selling an OSS Stiletto fighting knife, an OSS Smatchet, and a CIA "Go Secure" portable handset that belonged to my Father who worked for U.S. Government Intelligence.

Here is a link to the auction:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OSS-Chinese-Commando-Jump-Wings-/171843144164?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2802a649e4

 

 

Because the sellers' photos were either to light or too dark I tried to adjust them as best I could.

[Tonomachi]

It is a good one and yes it has been copied but this one is original. It is the most common one that you come across if you can call this a common piece.

[Jay Seay]

How can a copy be discerned from a real one? There are some astoundingly real looking counterfeits these days, especially with cad cam technology on the loose. (I had no idea we could post wings from other countries on this forum)

[doyler]

How can a copy be discerned from a real one? There are some astoundingly real looking counterfeits these days, especially with cad cam technology on the loose. (I had no idea we could post wings from other countries on this forum)

Items used by US forces qualify....no different posting this wing than a BRITISH SOE wing worn by an OSS member

[Tonomachi]

How can a copy be discerned from a real one? There are some astoundingly real looking counterfeits these days, especially with cad cam technology on the loose. (I had no idea we could post wings from other countries on this forum)

 

So far I haven't come across a copy that sophisticated but you have a point as if someone starts using cad cam technology to start copying some of the more rare pieces that are commanding higher and higher prices we collectors are in trouble. The only way that collectors will be able to tell them apart is if they get the rear fixings wrong or get sloppy and placements are incorrect. Patina will be a factor as the chemically induced patina doesn't look right but if you are only looking at a piece from a poor photo on eBay I can see people taking chances. I have seen and held the US silver dollars being copied overseas using this technology that are or were coming out of Communist China. They would have fooled me If I collected coins as they are exact duplicates. I got a quick lesson from a collector of these silver dollars at the flea market and he gave me one of the copies and a real one to compare. They looked exactly alike but the weight was different. He told me that the fakes are lighter. This was the only way to tell them apart which is scary as you are not going to be able to make this type of comparison from a photo on eBay. Has anyone come across a rare piece of military insignia they thought was copied using this technology?

 

 

 

 

 

[Jay Seay]

 

So far I haven't come across a copy that sophisticated but you have a point as if someone starts using cad cam technology to start copying some of the more rare pieces that are commanding higher and higher prices we collectors are in trouble. The only way that collectors will be able to tell them apart is if they get the rear fixings wrong or get sloppy and placements are incorrect. Patina will be a factor as the chemically induced patina doesn't look right but if you are only looking at a piece from a poor photo on eBay I can see people taking chances. I have seen and held the US silver dollars being copied overseas using this technology that are or were coming out of Communist China. They would have fooled me If I collected coins as they are exact duplicates. I got a quick lesson from a collector of these silver dollars at the flea market and he gave me one of the copies and a real one to compare. They looked exactly alike but the weight was different. He told me that the fakes are lighter. This was the only way to tell them apart which is scary as you are not going to be able to make this type of comparison from a photo on eBay. Has anyone come across a rare piece of military insignia they thought was copied using this technology?

 

 

 

Thanks Tonomachi, with that in mind I had this new thought about patina. Respectfully to both sides of the preference to clean or not clean patina off of old wings and make them as the soldier would have worn them as I've read on here, or to leave it, the patina especially in valuable old wings could be the one thing we could depend on if cad cam were employed to create any wing that had been chemically altered to appear old? Unless we knew the factory weight of a same wing known to be authentic which

would be helpful as well I suppose. If the patina is cleaned off an old wing, we may be losing one clue?

 

 

[Patchcollector]

Someone took this Wing home for 810 dollars.

[mtnman]

This is absolutely a good wing. There was a time when someone tried to make fakes of these wings from a museum acquired true piece. If you will observe, the Chinese writing and the serial number on the rear are the tells. The fakes have been pretty much sifted out but they're out there, and they have NO SERIAL NUMBER markings on the rear and I am sure the findings are easily discerned as fakes.