Orange parachute cap badge

[Dijkhuizen]

Found this orange cap badge.

Looks original WWII what are your thoughts?

 

 

 

[Dijkhuizen]

[BILL THE PATCH]

Looks like signal , the back doesn't look like a faded red. Nice never saw one of felt. Very hard to find even the common twill ones. Can't think of any any branch with that color. It's a very bright orange.

 

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[Old Marine]

Signal Corps color is Orange and White.

[BILL THE PATCH]

Yes, that is the color of the patch.

 

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[sgtdorango]

Yeah thats gotta be signals, great patch....mike

[Allan H.]

When I first saw this patch yesterday, I refrained from posting because I wanted to ponder the piece for a little while. Honestly, this patch makes me VERY nervous as it looks a lot like some other reproductions that have surfaced over the years.

 

I have taken the liberty of attaching an image of a cap patch that I believe to be a fake. I distinctly recall when I first started seeing these at shows and was amazed that other collectors weren't calling these out as fakes either. The most recent school of thought seems to be that they were Australian made and they are often advertised for sale as such. Here is my problem with the patch that I have posted. I have NEVER encountered one in the hands of a veteran or in a known original airborne grouping. This includes getting to see some amazing airborne and patch collections from very advanced collectors. The only times I have ever encountered one in a collection is when the collector acknowledges that he purchased the patch at a show or on eBay.

 

Let's go a bit further here. Twenty years ago, you never really had to worry about fake cap patches. Today, based on what I see offered on eBay and the like, it is getting increasingly difficult to find original patches. There are TONS of fakes out there. Why? because cap patches used to be a $10-20 item. Now, even the cheap pones command three to five times that amount. Since everyone is looking for variations, the more outrageous the design, the better it sells.

 

So, let's go back to the patch that started this thread. To me, the orange patch looks very similar to the piece that I posted except for the color of the background material. Also, the fact that it is embroidered with grey thread also gives me concern. Why would the patch be made with grey thread? To me, the answer is straight forward, it is far easier to find no-glow colored threads than it is to find white "no-glow" thread. Additionally, modern thread doesn't quite look the same as the thread that was made during the war. The whites are just more stark in color, which makes them harder to mask. Also, since the advent of the magical, mystical black light as a means of determining originality for many collectors, the need for fakers to have no-glow materials has become for more necessary.

 

Collecting anything requires each individual to make their own decision as to originality and price. Until one of these surface from an impeccable source with provenance, I won't be adding one to my collection.

 

My dos centavos,

 

Allan

[BILL THE PATCH]

I had one of those bogus patches Allen, and I see your point. Only difference I see, it looks like the orange patch might even be artificial aged?, When I had those bogus patches I was told it was english made.

 

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[tredhed2]

Late to the party on this one, but this looks like one of the UK-made fakes of the early 80s. Artificially aged and artifically embr, to boot.

[Dijkhuizen]

Everybody thanks for the comments.

I’ll keep this patch as an reference and label it as an reproduction.