Jump wing help

[Graciejane44]

Does this look real or fake. Hard to see but is stamped Sterling.

[Tonomachi]

I've attached some better photos of this piece for others to examine before giving their opinions and the link to the listing on eBay.  First off before I give my opinion you should know that I have not trusted the authenticity of some of the things this eBay seller has sold in the past.   The senior and master paratrooper wings are all post war having come out in the 1950s.  The ones with pin back assemblies are earlier pieces so you would expect to see some kind of patina or wear.  This senior paratrooper wing appears to have been constructed in one piece instead of having had a star soldered on top of a WW2 era basic paratrooper wing.   Most obvious is the lack of any patina or any wear either on the front or back.  This is suspicious.  The only wear I see is on the front of the bronze combat jump star.  It was hard to tell the thickness of this piece based on the photographs you provide however when I found the listing and looked at better close up photographs it is actually thicker than I thought it was.  Another reason I thought it was thin was because of the edge break or nick along the upper top portion of the parachute.  There is also a small glob of metal on the back far right edge of the wing.   Not having the piece in hand to examine I initially thought this was a stamping but I'm not so sure now.   I have not come across another one like this in all the years I have been searching for variants of US jump wings.  I have in my collection a WW2 era basic pin back paratrooper wing that is similarly made but constructed of very thin silver to reduce weight I guess with a similar incised sterling mark.  Due to the source and things I see that I can't explain I would not trust this piece and I would not pay the asking price of 82 dollars.  

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284298514019?hash=item4231830e63:g:E4wAAOSwd6tgo8dv

 

 

[Graciejane44]

Thank you so much for the help.   Charlie

[pfrost]

My opinion (and take that with a grain of salt, as I am no where near as informed as Tonomachi) I don't see anything that causes me to many problems or heartburn with this wing.  Looking at the findings, this makes me think of those wings that were made in the southwest of the US.  The hinge/pin is very similar to Lampl and Bell, with a thin brass pin cinched between two plates and a roughly-made barrel catch. I don't see anything to indicate that they are cast wings, and I am ambivalent as to whether or not the findings were added later (to me it looks like the findings and wing go together, but I could be wrong).  I have seen similar AAF type insignia with this type of back pattern, so that doesn't bother me too much.  So on the question of if it is a FAKE...  I lean towards the opposite, that is probably ok.

 

That being said, I agree with Tonomachi that these are not 1940's vintage wings (post KW at the latest), but I do think they may have been made in the southwest/Mexico area in the 1950's-60's.  There are no really 100% solid ways to know when the jump star was added, so you have to decide on your own for that aspect.  I don't see any obvious attempts to make a fake wing.  Typically the way they do that is to take a later wing, remove the clutchback pins and try to make it look like an earlier WWII vintage wing.

 

The price makes me think that the dealer (who I don't know, but have also heard/seen things about their wares being frequently suspect) knows exactly what this is just trying to goose the price up. I don't really collect jump wings and if I do get them, I try to limit myself to WWII/KW--so I can't comment on the price, other than I agree with Mr. T, it seems to expensive for what it is.

[donaldnol]

it looks real; sterling always has a look of brilliants and shine to it and the hole wear the star is pinned looks mfg  i like this but yea the wing is too pricey for my taste.

[dmar836]

Never saw one with a manufactured hole. If it is I wouldn't think that was a good sign.