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Possibly unique WWI era / early 20’s 10k Jessop Naval Aviator wings with “Brilliants”.


flyingtigerfan
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flyingtigerfan

Hi all,

I thought you might like seeing this new to me Jessop 2 3/4” variation.   Jessop collectors have likely seen their Air Service wings that are found in standard form and also a second Jessop jeweler embellished with small cuts / diamond cuts, which give the wing a sparkling appearance.   I’ve seen a small number of Jessop Naval Aviator wings but this is this first I’ve had with “Brilliants” similar to the Air Service type.   This wing had been in the same family since the WWI era.   It is simply engraved Sue, Jessop and 10k marked, the clasp is 14k marked.    It is stunning in hand especially in the right light.    Hope you enjoy.  
-Rob

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cwnorma

An amazing badge and it would, no doubt, have been spectacular when worn on a sunny day.

 

Likely a special order, and even expensive in its day, it is similar to some Robbins pieces.  These die-struck badges with bright cut embellishments are among the most handsome WW1 era badges.

 

Thank you for sharing!

 

Chris

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rathbonemuseum.com

Super impressive aviator wing for a wearer that loves the bling. Really fine!

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B-17Guy

Actually, I think it is an immediate post WWI badge. Mine is 14k and engraved 1923.

Gorgeous!

John

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cwnorma

It's generally more challenging to specifically date WW1-era Naval Aviation wings--than their Air Service counterparts.  The Navy never had a watershed event like the Army's February 1919 adoption of the Adams wings to serve as clean, before and after delineator.  Naval Aviation wing designs changed only subtly during WW2, so manufacturers could have offered these badges for sale to anyone wanting a premium badge for as long as they retained working dies.

 

I have honestly given up trying to nail Naval Aviation badges down.  Barring company records proving otherwise, my working supposition is that nearly all dies for pre-WW2 Naval Aviation badges were cut during the fever years of WW1.  Recall that as late as the first week of November 1918, the Army and Navy were still preparing for an enormous offensive operation to overwhelm Germany, and force capitulation, in the Spring of 1919.  The Creel commission and its 5-Minute Men intentionally ensured the public (and the enemy) was well aware of this explosive growth. Manufacturers would have had legitimate expectations that the need was coming and some may have even tried to get ahead of that need.  Any manufacturer who visited a training camp as late as November 1918 would have indeed observed them bursting at the seams and buzzing with the activity of training this enormous force.  Then suddenly and actually quite unexpectedly:  Peace!  Some dies may have been commissioned too late to be pressed into wartime service--before the armistice and subsequent demobilization ended manufacturer's dreams of mass production.   Even until May, rumors still spread that hostilities could resume.  But, once it became clear that the Armistice would indeed hold, demobilization was swift, and nearly total.  The between the wars years were characterized by small, lean forces.  It would have made little sense for new manufacturers to jump into the market during this period and sink the costs of producing new dies.  

 

During the depression, a different dynamic took hold.  Some manufacturers were driven out of business and their expensive dies auctioned off to other companies.  When the war drums for WW2 began beating, some of these dies were again pressed into service by different manufacturers.

 

Patrick @pfrost is fond of pointing out that many of the distinctions and delineations we collectors make are more conveniences contrived to help us characterize and sort our collections than they are strictly evidentiary.  Discussions with Heath @haw68 (and reviewing the amazing evidence he possesses!) have borne much of that sentiment out.  In net it has led me to reexamine some of my own long held suppositions about specific wing manufacture dates.

 

None of the above is intended to denigrate Rob's @flyingtigerfan badge--in any way!  It is exquisite!  But instead, should be seen as my own long-winded way to express my opinion that I am comfortable with his description the badge is, "WW1 era."

 

All the best!

 

Chris

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Wow wow wow wow.  Did I say wow!?

 

That is a lovely wing.  Thank you for sharing.  What a treat to see it

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B-17Guy

I don’t think we’ll ever know the exact year that Jessop made their Aviator die.

I have searched hundreds of photos of Naval Aviators of the 1918 period and have not found one photo of an Aviator wearing this badge.

Predominantly seen are BB&B badges, with a sprinkling of Stoll, Robbins and Blackinton pattern wings.

Also, they are more rare than any of the above wings, so they obviously produced in very small qualities.

In a phone conversation I had with Jim Jessop about ten years ago, he said that all the old records and catalogs no longer existed. 
So, I guess we will never know 100%, unless some old catalog is uncovered somewhere.

Personally, my gut says early 1920’s, but that’s just my opinion.

My two are on Bob’s site.

John

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cwnorma

@B-17Guy John,

 

I apologize if my post came across as adversarial.  That certainly wasn't my intent and I also think we are 100% in agreement on Jessop Naval Aviator wings.  I guess what I was trying to get across in my poor, long-winded way is my own evolving understanding of the "WW1 era" as representing a period somewhat greater than the 18 or so months the US was directly involved in combat in France.  

 

Certainly the war itself started in August 1914, but with respect to the US Army uniforms, insignia, and equipment, most of the those worn during the war were adopted in 1910.  Many "old-salt" Regulars and National Guardsmen went to war in 1917 wearing these early uniforms and insignia.  Most WW1 collectors include those seven or so prior years in their collecting mix (including 1910 gear and the Punitive expedition against Pancho Villa). 

 

On the tail end, although hostilities in France ended in November 1918, the treaty of Versailles wasn't signed until 28 June 1919 and "war jitters" continued through the Summer that year.  The treaty itself was never ratified by the US Senate.  The official US end of the war against Germany didn't come until a Congress passed a resolution in July of 1921.  Even, after the fighting ended in France, conflict continued in North Russia and Siberia until well into 1920.  Even after 1918, the armistice period was marked by militarism.  The May 1919 Atlantic crossing of the Navy-Curtiss (NC) flying boats (successfully by NC-4) was a show of US naval and military power aimed at discouraging the Germans from any temptations to re-ignite hostilities.  Finally, the Army of Occupation of Germany continued until 1923 and it was only that year the US military establishment began to dismantle and demobilize the economic and industrial aspects of the war.

 

So, there I go again with a really long winded answer just to say that I agree the Jessop badges probably post-date 1918.  As my fait accompli, I'd only add that I'm one of those weirdos who consider the "WW1 era" of Naval Aviation to begin 8 May 1911 and stretch up to about 1922.  Others maybe define 12 November 1918 as the first day of the "Between the Wars" period--I respect that. 

 

In the end, it is unfortunate Jessop did not keep those records as we'll likely never know for certain, but my suspicion still is that Jessop is most likely to have ordered their Naval Aviator die around the same time as their Military Aviator.  I think this probably happened during the war years when expectations for sales were high.  As rare as both Jessop badges are, it would not surprise me to learn the dies were not received from the die sinker until too late to serve the influx of war-time trainees.  Jessop badges (Army and Navy) are so rare and the sample size so small, that unless dated (like yours) they mostly seem to defy characterization.

 

All the best!

 

Chris

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flyingtigerfan

Thanks for all the positive and informative comments!    In regards to dating the wings, the family from which they were obtained stated that the aviator had been likely wwi.    Of course he could have stayed in service post wwi - I don’t have his name.   Again from oral history he was likely stationed at NAS San Diego.    With Jessop having produced USAS pattern aviator wings which would become obsolete shortly after WWI I can’t imagine they didn’t produce Naval Aviator wings in 1918.    With the store’s proximity to the NAS I would guess they would have at least a small number available.   The “Tiffany” type catches also lead me to believe early production.   The beautifully engraved 1922 wings are also surely related to the 1920s Pacific battle fleet at San Diego.    To me, the later engraved dates on Naval Aviator wings have no bearing on their production, only the purchase date.    I collect watches as well, owners always will state that their watch was made in 1964 or such if they recall purchasing it that year.   Upon opening the case back one often finds a date coded watch showing production up to 5 years prior to purchase.   At one time fine watches weren’t bought as investments or to flip and actually languished on dealer shelves like most merchandise.    My guess is that the Jessop wings with Tiffany catches are circa 1918 and were available to purchase for some years after that.   Later they went to drop in catches and such similar to other producers.    I would also guess given the low numbers of wings now extant that they made very few / special order and perhaps they were also more expensive than others available to the aviators.  Just my 2 cents…..

-Rob

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