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Bullion OSS patch


mortaydc60
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This patch with some other related items was on ebay last month. Somehow I missed the bullion OSS patch but did see the Free Thai and Chinese Commando patches offered. Was a mixed bag with an SF Jedburg wing offered that did not look right but others looking good like the Free Thai. Now back to the bullion OSS. Here it is and to me looks Paki made,what do others think. Went for over 2K so it would be a shame if not good.

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That seller has had a lot of items for sale  but some have had concerns over some. Right now he has a piece (spearhead collar piece)  the is currently over 450.00 and it does not seem to have the quality of an original.

I know folks don't like to post items for review for the fear of someone else swooping it to snipe (I hope the collecting community is not that cut throat) but before I would invest that kind of money, I would want an expert opinion.

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16 hours ago, Ronald said:

That seller has had a lot of items for sale  but some have had concerns over some. Right now he has a piece (spearhead collar piece)  the is currently over 450.00 and it does not seem to have the quality of an original.

I know folks don't like to post items for review for the fear of someone else swooping it to snipe (I hope the collecting community is not that cut throat) but before I would invest that kind of money, I would want an expert opinion.

I believe your worries about the authenticity of this OSS collar piece is well founded.  It just sold for $967.00.  I have one in my collection which I've had for probably 20 plus years.  I thought it was original until I received some information from other collectors concerning some type of bulk group purchase by unit crest collectors that occurred in I believe it was the 1950s.  Supposedly these DUI collectors got together and had a number of hard to find unit crests manufactured to include this Robbins hallmarked OSS collar piece.  I was wondering if other collectors have heard of this bulk purchase of DUIs?  

 

 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-WW2-OSS-insignia-spearhead-collar-branch-of-service-badge-/224165577578?nordt=true&nma=true&si=SI7hsH5PvZfVQoLaB%252BxOY%252FX%252FMrA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

 

OSS Robbins (1).jpg

OSS Robbins (2).jpg

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I had never heard specifically of the bulk purchase before.  Anyone involved is likely gone now.  I have seen some scarce Whitehead and Hoag pieces That were purportedly made for collectors back in those days so I guess it is possible. You would almost need to have both pieces side by side to say for sure.  I have 2 of these pieces in my collection that are theater made and coming out of Jay Massaros’ collection.  

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Believe there was mention in the ASMIC newsletters in the late 60's and early 70's about them making the insignia for a DI group and believe one group was from Charles Aresta is memory serves and other was old timer from Del whose father was high up in Quartermaster but name just escapes me but is still active on Ebay.

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1 hour ago, KurtA said:

The "less cool" the back is (boring long clutch posts, as opposed to screwback with nice hallmark), the "more real" it is.

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I was wondering what information you have concerning this OSS Phycological Warfare Branch collar badge?  I have yet to come across a period photograph of anyone wearing this particular variant of the OSS collar badge.  The close up black and white period OSS photographs that I have come across where you can make out the collar badge all have one look to them which is the same look as the front of the above Robbins hallmarked OSS collar badge.  However there is no way of determining what the back looks like from these photographs and because of this you see so many copies with the same front but with different rear fixings from clutch back pins, pin back assemblies to screw backs.  I believe your OSS collar badge was made either at the end of or right after the war in occupied Germany.  The reason I believe this is because I bought a pair of these at an insignia show for only 25 dollars a number of years ago.  Luckily for me the seller had no idea what these represented.  He had found a bag full of only German made DUIs and these OSS collar badges were amongst this horde of post war occupation era DUIs.   They have these crude clutch back pins with blunt ends.   Since the OSS was terminated on September 20, 1945 I don't believe these post war German made OSS collar badges were ever worn or only worn for a very short period of time (months).  I guess they could have been ordered at the tail end of WW2 as replacements for the US made OSS collar badges which were no longer available once the original supply was exhausted.  What makes things worse for the collector is that this particular variant of OSS collar badge has also been copied.  I have seen two different pin back pieces as well as a screw back piece.  However I feel the only genuine post war or end of war OSS collar badge is the blunt end clutch back piece. 

 

 

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Here is a OSS Phycological Warfare Branch uniform I saw on eBay a couple of weeks ago.   There were numerous photos of this uniform and the OSS collar badges looked real from the front but there were no photos of the rear.  I asked for photos and the seller sent me photographs of a rear pin back assembly which immediately told me that this uniform wasn't genuine.  Again with only a front view of an OSS collar badge you cannot tell the genuine collar badge from the fakes.

 

 

 

  

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FAKE ADSEC OSS  (12).jpg

FAKE ADSEC OSS  (13).jpg

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