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corrosion on sterling bomber wing attachment


donaldnol
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I got this two months ago from a ebay seller, picture wasn't clear then when i purchased it. i thought it was just staining on the bomb. hard to believe sterling corrodes this way. THANKS FOR VIEWING

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Well first, that is a 100% good WWII era wing badge, nothing wrong with it in my opinion.

Second, the rate of deterioration of the wing is totally dependent on storage and climate.

Remember, once anything made from any metal is completed, it has only one mission in life…to return to Mother Earth.

John

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41 minutes ago, B-17Guy said:

Well first, that is a 100% good WWII era wing badge, nothing wrong with it in my opinion.

Second, the rate of deterioration of the wing is totally dependent on storage and climate.

Remember, once anything made from any metal is completed, it has only one mission in life…to return to Mother Earth.

John

just my opinion maybe it came in contact with some battery acid while in the field?

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I had a wing that had been stored next to some D cell batteries. One had leaked and the damage to the wing was pretty bad. 

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I think @pfrost and others have opined from time to time about how these badges often had long, and varied lives.  And, while we collectors go to great lengths to preserve artifacts, the original owners often only saw them as something the Captain could "gig" them for...

 

It's hard to say if the apparent damage is due to a chemical process (corrosion) or physical process (damage).  For example, I have a badge that shows evidence of having been dropped in the mud and stepped upon.  Perhaps that happened here?  Or, variously the young bombardier may have got it in his head to strip the lacquer off the bomb to "pretty it up" and in that process used some sort of corrosive chemical that ate away the silver?  Maybe "bugs" got into the box the uniform was stored in and created a toxic stew of old sweat, frass, and rot over decades of poor storage?

 

Norm Flayderman always used to tell me, "You take them as they come."  I think that applies here.  This is a great looking badge and the damage serves to give it additional character.

 

Chris

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Getting in contact with a dissimilar metal could cause the oxidation as well....The badge likely has copper or brass in it and may have come in contact with something aluminum or steel....This is noted for happening in the electrical constructions trade...For instance, when aluminum and copper wires, connectors, or the like are in contact, electricians will often coat the parts/wires with an anti-oxidizing (noalux) paste....Bodes

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Could the bomb attachment actually be made of brass or a similar alloy? Sterling is pretty resistent and the pitting looks more like corrosion you would see on brass.

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14 hours ago, Reforger said:

Could the bomb attachment actually be made of brass or a similar alloy? Sterling is pretty resistent and the pitting looks more like corrosion you would see on brass.

didn't see any brass like areas but it maybe a different material.

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