Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #51 Posted September 3, 2022 This one is fine. It was probably done a separation center. While the location of the wounding wasn't usually on these, you have to be mindful of the fact that Private Snuffy was engraving these for other Privates who were looking forward to going home (so was Private Snuffy) so there is some variation on these and I've yet to see anyone fake one of these with stamped lettering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #52 Posted September 3, 2022 This is another one where the engraving wasn't necessarily bad. However, it's from the 1950s-1970s, not from WW2 or from WW1. For educational purposes, this engraving was done with a pantograph engraver, using a diamond drag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #53 Posted September 3, 2022 I don't want to dwell fully on eBay, though there are some great examples of engraving styles (good and bad) available on there. Here's one from a major online dealer. It simply is a "nope"...literally, the engraving is not anywhere close to what it should be. The medals are new, the engraving was done with a laser...I don't know what else to say other than someone paid $1300 for some awards that were brand new... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #54 Posted September 3, 2022 Here's one where there's just no engraving at all. Just a certificate and a random, brand new Purple Heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #55 Posted September 3, 2022 I'm not sure what someone was thinking here, other than wanting to drop $1100 on a group of medals that was engraved in 1991. I mean...maybe its something they REALLY wanted, but still...it's a completely reissued set. The benefit of this group is seeing what 1991 engraving looks like... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #56 Posted September 3, 2022 I'll give this one the benfit of the doubt. Sure, they weren't claiming it was officially government engraved, but this engraving style is extremely common and appeared on numerous fakes from the last four or five decades. Plus, with what appears to be an artificial patina...I'm guessing someone made this to deceive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #57 Posted September 3, 2022 Here's a nice, official government replacement group from 1986. This is a good way to learn and see what this later type of engraving looked like, and when it dates from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #58 Posted September 3, 2022 More brand new medals with 80s or 90s engraving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #59 Posted September 3, 2022 There's nothing particularly wrong with this group or the claims made by the seller. It's really nice privately done engraving. Not official, but still very attractive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #60 Posted September 3, 2022 When someone is familiar with engraving styles, what's right often becomes a one-look. For example, this seller didn't have the best photos, but this is official small machine engraving. At a glance, you can tell it's right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #61 Posted September 3, 2022 More private engraving. This group was killer. If I had the chance to buy it, I would have. It's just gorgeous and 100% real. Superb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #62 Posted September 3, 2022 This seller claimed the award was not a more recently engraved one. But...sadly...it was and it's unofficial to boot as the letters are too large for this font style and they were done on a pantograph with a drag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #63 Posted September 3, 2022 Another...not being claimed to be anything more than what it was, but interesting because it's another separation center stamped Purple Heart "in the wild". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #64 Posted September 3, 2022 I've seen this happen several times now, and am not sure why. The original, vintage, shipping box gets mated up with a newly engraved award. This one is from 1991 (thanks to the award certificate!) so it's a good example of later replacement engraving...too bad the original medal isn't in the original shipping box though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #65 Posted September 3, 2022 This group to Luz A. Cisneros came from a known faker in the Phoenix/Mesa Arizona area. We'll see more of their examples. To their credit, after the group was purchased, they refunded the buyer's payment when it was proven to be fake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #66 Posted September 3, 2022 I'm not sure what was happening to this group to Sam Sacco, but it appears the engraving was ground off and then engraved again. Kind of an odd group, but definitely no where near official engraving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #67 Posted September 3, 2022 Another one. Nothing particularly wrong with this medal, just more modern engraving for a replacement from the government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #68 Posted September 3, 2022 This one was interesting because it was a 1947 engraved WIA award to Max Allen. Typically, my assumption was that most of these were script engraved. However, this one is not script but nicely done in block letters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manayunkman Posted September 3, 2022 Share #69 Posted September 3, 2022 The art of hand engraving is making a comeback, unfortunately for nefarious purposes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #70 Posted September 3, 2022 At the start of this thread, I mentioned the "Ohio Auction". Well, this is actually the first Ohio Auction. This auction house actually removed these listings when they were informed these were fake. They then resurfaced the next year in the next auction at a different auction house. There are a lot of photos, and you can see the trend of how they were engraved. I'll post a few at a time as to not be overwhelming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #71 Posted September 3, 2022 As you can see, the fonts and just about everything else are way off from originals... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #72 Posted September 3, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #73 Posted September 3, 2022 This group to James L Shumate was sold and later split up. The Purple Heart has resurfaced recently online. The DFC and AM (they appear to be the only real parts of this group) are MIA... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #74 Posted September 3, 2022 More, just horrible engraving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share #75 Posted September 3, 2022 A final group from that auction. More "no, it's simply not at all real". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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