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H.H. Chandler EGA


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Been awhile since I've found an EGA worth discussing here that we haven't discussed multiple times...

 

Picked up this emblem last week. The photos had a ton of flash wash and I thought it was an officer service or dress emblem with all the finish washed off. Turns out to be a very interesting bird, indeed.

 

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Single piece construction typical of enlisted emblems, and all gold typical of enlisted dress emblems, however the size and detail are that which we'd expect on an officer emblem. Obviously the pin fell off and was replaced by clutches long ago. One one wing is marked 'H.H. Chandler', and on the other wing, faintly and visible with a lope, is 'Charlestown'. Searching the forum, I was only able to find a belt buckle made by this firm.

 

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This isn't the first time we've seen a large collar type emblem in enlisted gold...we are all familiar with this pattern:

 

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There has long been speculation that the above was a private purchase enlisted collar emblem, as we have seen both sides and these have popped up in pairs. However, I have also seen theories that officers wore these, which seems odd to me that an officer would dare wear all gold emblems.

 

Not quite sure on this one, but it is an interesting bird

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That seems to be from H H Chandler & Son of Boston's Charlestown district: they were Henry Horatio and Henry Nelson Chandler.

 

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Here's a piece made by them:

 

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They were located close to the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston.

 

Could that piece have been a sweetheart piece? That would be inline with these HH Chandler & Son items found on worthpoint.com

 

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That hat pin looks like a converted emblem, as well...

 

All high-quality stuff... I am yet to see a regulation-size pattern emblem made exclusively for sweethearts, they always seem to repurpose insignia into sweetheart pieces...we see it most prolifically with H&H

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Wasn't a military seller, but it came with a couple enlisted M37 cover emblems in the lot. I will see if they remember the venue, but I imagine it was a box lot or estate sale type pickup

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jeremiahcable

Tim, I'm pretty sure one of those with the pin and catch intact on it sold a week or so before that one. Might be worth looking through the sold items listings.

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Tim,

I would initially think this a sweetheart piece. To my eye, it doesn't appear to ever have had a standard known method of attachment for uniform wear and lacks quality finishing detail. There is at least one other WW1 era collar size EGA (in dress) that purely seems to have existed for attachment to a sweetheart piece or buckle and only made in one side. I know Fred Bruier covered it in his book, with maker, and I have it on a buckle (it shows unique details to the continents). I would not be surprised to see these in a set, as one thing I have learned is to never say never, but given Bob's superb detective work, I think the evidence is overwhelming that the Chandler firm most certainly was in the "novelty" business. Still a nice piece to have in an EGA collection.

Best,

Mike

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It seems to me the pin ran from bird to anchor head...there is stipling on the globe near the sides, smooths out as it nears the continents. Really is a nice piece...all of their jewelry seems to have been high quality and the prices of the pieces above reflect that...can't beat the price, so it's a nice piece to see if maybe someday a pair or undamaged original turns up. I always find it unusual that a sweetheart firm would use a right facing anchor on single emblem pieces, it almost takes away from the high quality

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Tim,

Yeah, I see the solder in those spots, and I assume it is lead solder. My thoughts, solder isn't used for pin attachments on jeweler quality sets, and the angle those two points make are more in line of the angle like we see on the 1940's-1950's sweetheart (HH) pieces for pin attachment. Are the existing protruding pins "pins" or screw posts? Can't tell.

Mike

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It's cool to have an unknown maker come out of the woodwork and create some EGA pedigree discussion - been a while since something new and different showed up.

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It's cool to have an unknown maker come out of the woodwork and create some EGA pedigree discussion - been a while since something new and different showed up.

Totally agree!

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Bob,

Yes! I had not heard of this maker or seen an example. Just goes to show you that stuff still "pops" up and never say never when it comes to EGAs!!

 

Tim,

Again, nice snag and thanks for posting. Hope one day to see a set!

 

S/F,

 

Mike

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Actually, the original solder marks on my emblem looks like it would match the ones on this piece if the EGA was removed...

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  • 3 years later...

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