Detailed Sterling Pilot Wing: BB&B? Sweetheart? Pilot Worn?

[Kimo]

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. I have this sterling marked pilot wing with exceptional feathering detail on the wings. There is no maker marked on the back, but I have seen a post elsewhere on this area of the Forum that have what appears to be an identical front but slightly difference back and are marked BB&B Bronze. Mine are not marked by Bailey Banks and Biddle and instead of bronze mine is stamped STERLING. Mine measures about 2.75 inches across and are relatively thin - about the thickness of a dime - but are very rigid and would not easily bend, not that I would actually try to bend them of course. Mine also have the standard pin back arrangement with two posts, one with the rotating catch along with the long pin. These were made this way - there is no trace of any other kind of attachment arrangement. Finally, mine have a perfectly flat back while the ones I saw in that other post seem to have some kind of a depressed area on the back in the center area behind the central design from the front.

 

I am somewhat torn as to exactly what these are though my first inclination is they are sweetheart. Yet they also have the look of some badges from the early post-WW 1 era as well.

 

Can anyone tell me with confidence exactly what these are? Are the sweetheart or are they something that would have actually been worn by a pilot? Are they BB&B without the BB&B hallmark? Or anything else?

 

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and thoughts.

 

I can add more photos if you like, please just tell me what you would like to see better.

 

Kimo

[Tesla]

These seem to be sweetheart wings. From my understanding, there are no known photographs of pilots wearing this style of wing. I have the BBB bronze version of these. There is a thread about these and I will try to find it for you.

[Flightpath]

Yes, sweetheart wings, they pop up on the net for sale every now and then. I think I have a photo of some on a card with the maker's name on it, although it might be just the store that sold them. This type were the very first wings that I asked about on USMF years ago.

Cheers, John

[Kimo]

Thanks, guys!

[5thwingmarty]

Although similar to the wings sometimes marked BB&B Bronze, the wing in this post has different feather details than those wings. I can't tell from your photos, but the horizontal lines in the upper shield also appear to be different that the BB&B wings. The pristine finish and very sharp but completely different details on this wing make me suspicious of it.