AMCRAFT or American Metal Crafts Co: examples and patterns

[Mark]

I think it is the surface coating applied during manufacture and then a clear lacquer coating that give them this appearance. Seems to be typical for this maker on all types.

[Mark]

Liaison from my collection

[Mark]

Liaison reverse

[Mark]

Glider Pilot wing

[John Cooper]

This could be a rhodium plated wing - I recall having some discussions years ago about this as something that was available althought expensive..? maybe someone has more information or better yet a catalog with the option and the price listings

 

Take a look at this pilots wing notice the difference and when you look at the reverse whatever was used only really was used on the front... I dod not know if this is rhodium but it is different then the other example posted.

 

 

 

Thoughts \ Ideas?

John

 

 

[b jay]

Nice wing

 

 

 

B Jay

[graham]

Thanks for all the replies. Just been looking on ebay at some USMC officer collar insignia in original H&H box with those little stickers they used. One says 1/20th-10kt gold filled. The other says sterling silver rhodium finished. The finish covers the back of the EGA completely as I would expect with electro plating unlike Johns pilot and my Liaison pilot. I notice H&H used the term finished not plated so maybe thats a clue.

 

Thanks Graham.

[CliffP]

This could be a rhodium plated wing - I recall having some discussions years ago about this as something that was available althought expensive..? maybe someone has more information or better yet a catalog with the option and the price listings

 

Take a look at this pilots wing notice the difference and when you look at the reverse whatever was used only really was used on the front... I dod not know if this is rhodium but it is different then the other example posted.

Thoughts \ Ideas?

John

John,

 

You are correct, it is a rhodium plated wing. During World War II rhodium plated wings were not expensive nor were they as uncommon as most people might think. Rhodium plating provided a cheap alternative to having to hand polish sterling silver insignia but for some folks its appearance projected a bit too much "bling" or shine.

 

One drawback to any type of rhodium plated insignia is that over time it had a tendency to flake-off.

 

Cliff

[John Cooper]

John,

 

You are correct, it is a rhodium plated wing. During World War II rhodium plated wings were not expensive nor were they as uncommon as most people might think. Rhodium plating provided a cheap alternative to having to hand polish sterling silver insignia but for some folks its appearance projected a bit too much "bling" or shine.

 

One drawback to any type of rhodium plated insignia is that over time it had a tendency to flake-off.

 

Cliff

 

 

Thanks Cliff for the correction - (sorry for the late reply)

Cheers

 

John

[Costa]

just caught this amcraft with a snowflake back. the catch for the pin is the open type and think its from the 20's. am i right?????

[lovmilinsig]

Sweet AAC badge . Wish I could help you date it .

 

Ed

[John Cooper]

Costa,

 

Just off the top of my head I think Amcraft used the "snowflake" patter on the reverse late 20s to just before the war... I am not at home so I can check my notes on this but I am sure someone will be able to lock this done for you.

 

Cheers

John

[BROBS]

This thing seems die struck to me.. but the "silvered" finish over whatever the base material is has me scratching my head.

is it a fake?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks,

Brian

[LuftStalg1]

Die struck with a lot of the original frosty finish. A lot of honest original wear, I like em!

[BROBS]

OK so there were sets made of some other base material (seems brassy?) and "sprayed" or "applied" with a silvered finish?

 

I don't have any experience with these types of wings.

 

-Brian

[tomcatter]

Hi Brian,

I may be wrong, but I think that's a nice pair of WWII wings.

 

Most of wings and badges Makers used and still use a technique called "electroplating" to apply silver, gold or rhodium finish.
Here you have the Wikipedia page about that:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroplating

[BROBS]

I guess I get stuck on people saying that WW2 wings should be "sterling" and marked as such.

 

I do understand electroplating.. I just wasn't sure if it would produce such a paint-like result on them.

These just seem so much more "silver" (lighter in shade) than any of my other sets.

 

Thank you guys for the input!! Every day is a learning experience in this hobby.

 

-Brian

[skypilot6670]

Nice wings. Lots of original finnish.

[bschwartz]

Not all WW2 era wings are sterling or marked sterling. The wings you have look just fine to me.

[BROBS]

thanks guys...

I was about to try to send these back as fake!

 

I guess others must have thought the same thing.. I think I paid $22.

 

-Brian

[Wingcommander]

I had a wing almost exactly like this once! Mine was clutchback though. Mine did say sterling, but that had been blobbed over with solder before it was plated, presumably because the applied centre device was a different metal!

[BROBS]

You know..

looking at these more closely with your comment in mind, it does appear to have something odd on the back of the disc...

like "sterling" was ground off perhaps (before plating) ?

 

-Brian

[tomcatter]

Hi Brian,
if a wing is "Sterling" marked, it means it's made of solid Silver 925, so it's not just silver plated.
If a wing is silver plated, then it will not be "Sterling" marked.

Non-sterling marked wings are generally made of zinc alloy or brass with silver plating;

sometimes they are made of silver 800.

[doyler]

nice wings Brian. Real and right as rain.Will have to post a silvered set I have.

[BROBS]

Would love to see them Ron! I apparently have just not encountered this type.

You get stuck on a set of "rules" for period insignia, and then just don't look at stuff outside of those "rules".

 

I bought these off an ebay auction with a bad picture.. otherwise I definitely would have passed them up as "fakes".

 

-Brian