Air Corps insignia with silver prop

[JohnK83882]

An air corps insignia with a silver prop is air cadets, correct?

 

[atb]

It looks like a normal Army Air Corps officer's Branch of Service insignia.

[JohnK83882]

8 minutes ago, atb said:

It looks like a normal Army Air Corps officer's Branch of Service insignia.

Might be but the prop isn't usually silver. The air corps cadet hat emblem has a silver prop, though, so I thought it might be the case.

 

I do see both kinds, monotone and gold with silver prop so wonder if it wasn't just a manufacturing choice depending on who made them.

[warguy]

The AAF officer insignia is usually gold wings silver prop. I think you are thinking of the air cadet insignia (I think pre-war) which is  all silver (both wings and prop). 

[JohnK83882]

11 minutes ago, warguy said:

The AAF officer insignia is usually gold wings silver prop. I think you are thinking of the air cadet insignia (I think pre-war) which is  all silver (both wings and prop). 

Thanks. The air cadet hat badges I've seen are gold wings and silver prop. But looking at different air corps insignia, I do see both solid gold and gold & silver. It seems the earlier insignia was gold & silver and most of the late war stuff was solid gold, but just from a bit of looking around.

[KurtA]

Officer branch insignia for WW1 Air Service, inter war Air Corps, WW2 AAF and current Army Aviation have always had a silver propeller, never a gold colored prop.   
The posted insignia is typical for a WW2 era officer AAF branch insignia. (And for a cadet also)  
 

[rathbonemuseum.com]

What atb, warguy and KurtA said. Standard and regulation Army Air Corps and Army Air Force officer branch of service device, Worn in pairs on the blouse lapels. There was no all gold version. 

[LuftStalg1]

I've never come across an all gold wing and prop.  The modern Army Aviation may have had one but I don't recall.  I also believe I have had some Mexico made cadet all silver as well.

[JohnK83882]

The enlisted collar brass is all gold. I have seen all gold officers insignia but on ebay they are the minority. https://www.ebay.com/itm/235407350121

[atb]

49 minutes ago, JohnK83882 said:

The enlisted collar brass is all gold. I have seen all gold officers insignia but on ebay they are the minority. https://www.ebay.com/itm/235407350121

But, you asked about officer's-style insignia, not enlisted. All gold officer's-style could be foreign Insignia, souvenirs, sweetheart pins, and etc.

[JohnK83882]

25 minutes ago, atb said:

But, you asked about officer's-style insignia, not enlisted. All gold officer's-style could be foreign Insignia, souvenirs, sweetheart pins, and etc.

I asked if an air corps emblem with a silver prop was air cadets. The silver prop is correct but I have seen all gold officers air corps insignia and they do turn up on ebay, just like you see bolt rifles in WW2 infantry insignia.

[LuftStalg1]

John, that one piece version looks similar to the made in Mexico stuff I have had over the decades though NOT the hardware.  I do recall that Cadets in TX would often cross the boarder into Mexico and have stuff made cheap. 

 

The hardware looks more early / pre war with the drop in barrel catch.  I would lean more towards a sweetheart item but that is strictly opinion / a guess and worth just as much.  That and $5 will get you a cup of coffee these days. 😁

[JohnK83882]

The clasps in the picture are 30s to early WW2. It's part of an ebay auction and a lot of the pins in it have those clasps. When I get the item, I'll look at it and check for makers marks. True, you don't know for sure if it's issue or third party or sweetheart pin. Sweetheart pins are typically miniature and cheaply made, but I just got a in service pin that's basically a service flag soldered to a full size issue CPO badge, and a nice one, too.