Vintage WWI Air Service Officer's Collar Insignia Opinions Please

[Wade16]

I found these insignia today and would like opinions on them. The shape of the wings are unusual to me. They are 1 3/4" Size.

[cwnorma]

Perfectly good French-made examples! Actually tougher to find than the US-made varieties.

 

v/r

Chris

[Wade16]

That is interesting. What value would these have?

[cwnorma]

A little more than a standard US made pair. Not as high, as say a hallmarked pair by a famous maker like Tiffany or Shreeve, but certainly more than a run-of-the-mill US-made pair.

 

Maybe about a 20% premium.

 

I won't pay more than $100 for a pair of regular US made ones, and then only if its variety I don't have... So you can gauge by that I guess.

[Wade16]

That helps a lot. Thank you.

[MARTINRF]

G'DAY!...here is/are my small collection of collar insignia 1917/18 through to the 1920s...(8{

[cwnorma]

@MARTINRF,

 

Very nice!  Not a questionable piece in the lot!  Welcome to the forum!  Always nice to have another "wing-nut" in the mix.

 

v/r

Chris

 

 

 

[MARTINRF]

...meant to include the reverse of the pair of French-made Officers collars in the previous post...have you any idea who wore the sterling-marked USAAC item - maybe it's a sweetheart item?...have you ever seen those long, gilded loops on the reverse of the pair of 1920s collars before?...would the sterling propeller OR's oxidised discs perhaps be private-purchase - maybe by a senior NCO?...do you think that the USN pilot wing is a pre-WW2 item?... (8{

[B-17Guy]

Hello and welcome.

Yes, your Aviator wing badge is pre WWII, probably 1930’s and is generally thought to have been made by White Co.

John

[cwnorma]

20 hours ago, MARTINRF said:

...meant to include the reverse of the pair of French-made Officers collars in the previous post...have you any idea who wore the sterling-marked USAAC item - maybe it's a sweetheart item?...have you ever seen those long, gilded loops on the reverse of the pair of 1920s collars before?...would the sterling propeller OR's oxidised discs perhaps be private-purchase - maybe by a senior NCO?...do you think that the USN pilot wing is a pre-WW2 item?... (8{

 

1) You are correct, it is a sweetheart device.

2) The loops are originally for a mess-dress chain.  These were also sold as sweetheart devices often with an appurtenance added to the hook.

3) WW1 collar disks, in the parlance of the day, were "bronze" or "bronzed."  This particular variety may have been available at the BX for private purchase but was also a regular issue item.  This is the predominate style found on uniforms worn by enlisted men of the "Spruce Brigade."  They do seem to be loosely associated with units in the western half of the US.  They are US made.  Because of their bold, handsome design, many of these seem to have found their way (some more recently?) onto enlisted Air Service tunics.

4) The Aviator badge is generally considered to be from between-the-wars.  The die may have been cut in late 1918 in anticipation of the large build up expected for planned Spring 1919 offensives.  Drawdowns at end of WW1 relegated this pattern to the between the wars era.  Earlier versions do not have the anchor flukes voided.  This one is probably from later in the range.

 

Chris

[MARTINRF]

...many thanks for the great information...apologies for the use of "oxidised" instead of "bronzed" - that'll be me using the Australian description for such a finish...the British also describe their service dress badges as being "bronzed", but never Australian ones...Australia, and later the US, seem the have been the first allied national armies to have subdued their metal insignia during wartime...those US aviation items that I have posted are a side interest of mine - I seem to be able to spot a genuine item from time to time...my core collecting is anything relating to the Australian Imperial Force - a bit off-piste for this site, I admit, but someone has to collect it...(8{