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World War One Weekly Wing #33 - American Made WW1 Wing With Unusual Bullion


cwnorma
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World War One

Weekly Wing #33

American Made WW1 Wing With Unusual Bullion

 

 

Background

 

As is often the case, collectors occasionally encounter badges that both pass every originality test and yet still defy explanation.  WWOWW #33 is one such badge.  The badge is bright, clean, and despite the once blue background having faded to a shade of purple (as Patrick likes to point out, it has faded more on the front than the back--something hard to fake), the bullion shows only moderate toning and retains much of its luster.  In many respects this wing is similar to other American-made WW1 sew-on type badges however, it differs from any other I have encountered in several key ways.  Read on!

 

WWOWW33.jpg.d99668f78c11bdb7616b83bcf7e822ca.jpg

 

Description

 

Reserve Military Aviator

 

Manufacture. In most respects this badge is a classic American-made wing.  As are most, it is distinctive yet generally similar to other American-made two tier shoulder wings--with a key difference:  Gold bullion highlights interworked throughout the wing.  Each wing is characterized by a first row of feathers picked out individually in smooth silver bullion, surmounted by a two-tier shoulder of individual feathers constructed with rachis of faceted gold bullion and vane of contrasting smooth silver bullion. Each first row feather is separated by a double line of fine black thread.

 

The shield has a moderate flare.  The chief contains 13 small neatly spaced "stars" executed with faceted gold bullion in an x-configuration affixed atop a field of horizontal rows of smooth silver bullion.  The field portion consists of alternating vertical columns of smooth silver bullion and faceted gold bullion.  The chief and field portion are separated by a gold bullion wire coil and double row of black thread.

 

The top half of each wing and shield perimeter are bordered by silver coiled bullion wire. 

 

Both wings and shield are highly padded.

 

The US is appears to be smooth silver bullion coils configured in a two-strand twisted helix with no apparent serifs or periods (it is possible the US is tarnished gold bullion as would be more conventional--it is admittedly difficult to tell).

 

Mountings

 

The badge is stitched to a half-moon shaped, semi-rigid, red fiberboard base.  Background cloth 80% laps the back of the badge and is stitched fast.  Remains of stitching to affix the badge to a uniform is evident. 

 

Notes

The inclusion of gold bullion in the shoulders, stars, and stripes of the shield is considerably unusual.  The gold-bullion highlights of this badge is a bold design choice that would really make this wing stand out from the crowd. Furthermore, the fiberboard backer itself is unusual.  Its inclusion would serve to protect the badge as it was stitched upon, removed from, then restitched to the uniform as well as serving to make the badge step up considerably from the chest of the wearer.  Given its unusual countenance, could this badge represent a sort of bullion sweetheart badge? The badge is semi-attributed--having been given to a neighbor's young son by a former RMA.  The young boy, himself a WW2 veteran only recalled that he talked often to the man known to him only as; "Uncle Charley" both men passed away in Ft Meyers, FL.

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This is a French-made wing that has a very interesting variable patina.  I don't know if the wing started out this way or developed the patina over time.  But the use of different types of bullion give it a very interesting look.

AC2.jpg

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