AIR SERVICE INSIGNIA

[kiaiokalewa]

A smallish collection of collar insignia that I recently found in my friends estate.  I'm guessing that the one with gold wreath is a cap badge.  It's similar to the 1902 enlisted branch devices but I'm not 100% sure if this is an authorized or unauthorized insignia.

[warguy]

That’s a nice collection. Thanks for sharing.

[cwnorma]

Greetings!

 

Generally a nice collection.  Most are good pieces.  A few need more scrutiny.  Some are questionable at best.  

 

The good:

 

- The larger wing devices (both bronze and gold) with smaller-sized propellers are post 1923

- Gilt wing devices with larger propellor are from the 1919-1923 era.

- The cigarette case is likely from the 1930s (due to the style of wing)

- Among the large propellor, bronze officer collar wing devices, I can see nice examples of Shreeve, Link, BB&B, and two French-made versions

- The signal corps with wing (no globe), unofficial aviation cadet insignia all look good

 

The bad:

 

- I can not give my personal endorsement to the supposed balloon collar insignia (FWIW).

 

Need a second look:

 

The hat badge and winged globes (officer's insignia & enlisted collar disk) need more scrutiny.  These items have been re-struck, and many "new" examples have been around for decades making them appear old -- construction details matter.  Would need good photos of the fronts and backs of those to make a certain call.

 

Warm regards!

 

Chris

[kiaiokalewa]

Aloha Chris,

 

Much appreciate your input on the last stash of insignia that I found.  And of course much more review is required on those that are suspect.  I've included multiple close up images to ponder over.  Plus I've add additional pixs of the balloon pair for another look.  

 

Mahalo,

 

John

 

[manayunkman]

Some super items John.

 

I love the balloon insignia 

[cwnorma]

 

John,

 

I wish I were the bearer of better tidings.  

 

The cap badge exhibits characteristics of restrikes made by Alan Beckman.  Before he passed away, Beckman had thousands of dies and was an extremely prolific maker of restrike insignia.  His specialty was making exotic and fantasy items by combining elements struck from original dies.  Beckman was also a skilled jeweler.  Many exotic early US Life Saving Service or Revenue Marine Hospital insignia floating around the market were actually made by Beckman.  Among his many holdings, Beckman had some of the dies from NS Meyer.  Meyer modified their Air Service collar wing die in the 1920s to incorporate a solid propellor and thin, metal propellor overlay.  This construction was actually substantially stronger than the earlier WW1 version with its separately applied, silver propellor.  All NS Meyer made pieces using the modified die include the thin, metal overlay for the propellor.  None of the Beckman produced pieces have the thin silver colored overlay--Beckman does not seem to have owned the matching die for the overlay.

 

The Collar disk exhibits characteristics of restrikes made by Ray Darida formerly of Naugatuck Novelty Company of Northfield Connecticut.  Also deceased, Darida once owned dies from the Stokes-Kirk company (among others) and made restrike insignia for collectors and re-enactors.  Darida used distinctive findings produced by the B. J. Ballou company Covered here: 

Ballou was a jewelry findings company that had been in business since the 1890s..  Ballou went defunct in 2009 and was bought out by W.R. Cobb and Co:

 

https://cobblee.com/en/products-and-service/jewelry-findings/

 

Cobb buying out Ballou indirectly did the collecting fraternity a significant favor.  Many of Ballou's findings were still made on 100+ year old machinery and consequently were indistinguishable from vintage originals.  Many fake WW1 wings made before 2009 can be found with Ballou's catches and pins.  When Cobb purchased Ballou, they did not seem to have used any of Ballou's machinery and the old-style findings are no longer available from Cobb.

 

With respect to the Balloon insignia, I can neither endorse nor refute them.  I have never seen another pair.  I strongly suspect that they are original J.R. Gaunt manufactured Signal Corps insignia that have had the winged balloon appurtenance added.  It is up to you to decide if it was added in 1918 or 1978.  I observe that the base insignia are die struck while the appurtenances are cast with hand-punched detail.  That construction seems inconsistent.

 

Warm regards!

 

Chris

 

[kiaiokalewa]

Aloha Chris,

 

This is exactly why I love your in depth view on all my posts that you've chimed in on.  The shenanigans  of the past and those that participated in them is generally unknown with the exceptions of the noted observations reported here and they are excellent  works of reference. 

 

I'm certain Marty was extremely excited during his gathering days by adding the latest and greatest acquisitions to his collection.  Unfortunately, and like all of us, he was taken advantage every once in awhile  unknowingly.  He wasn't kin on adding fake to his collection at all and now I can only assume that he believed he was getting the real deal.  The good thing is that he wasn't taken to the cleaners  on majority of his collection being the seasoned collector that he was.

 

I really appreciate your stance on the balloon anomaly, too!  I notice the very same details that you pointed out and just figured that it was creative doughboy ingenuity to fill in someone whim "Overthere". Now it will remain in limbo until its true origin surface that will either sink or float this duck.

 

Thanks for all you do for us here at the forum.

 

John

 

[cwnorma]

John, @kiaiokalewa, 

 

It is worth noting; it would be completely unfair to cast any aspersions on your friend Marty for what we, In the light of the present, can recognize as missteps.  Much of what is now known only came to light in the last 10 years or so -- after the passing of the men who committed the work. Your friend Marty proved himself to be a discerning collector and many of the previous postings you showcased have been of phenomenal quality. 

 

Earlier generations of collectors simply did not have the benefit of the internet and other electronic means to research and share information.  If anything, we should count ourselves fortunate to live in such a time.  That vacuum of information, was exactly what the likes of; Darida, Beckman, Snyder, Walters, and (many!) others counted on to ply their wares.  Unfortunately, restrikes, reproductions, and outright fakes found their way into the very best of collections.

 

In his books, Duncan Campbell often warned about various efforts at re-striking or otherwise faking historic military artifacts.  Most of the above men (and their wares) were well known to him but (gentleman that he was) Campbell refrained from "naming names" -- at least in print.  To be certain, other fakers have taken up that mantle and are actively putting out questionable items. Also, as a previous generation of collectors passes on, questionable items from old, established collections are coming back into the light.  Fortunately, we have this forum (and other venues like ASMIC) at our virtual fingertips to share information and learn.

 

Warm regards!

 

Chris

 

 

[cwnorma]

John,

 

I just realized that you asked above, but I did not assess your Air Service Overseas (Signal Corps with "winged globe") insignia.  

 

From what I think I can see; it appears as though it could be a good example.  The somewhat crude nature of many French-made insignia makes it challenging to be absolutely certain, and frankly, opens the door for those trying to pull a fast one.  For these, the best tell seems to be the thickness (or rather, the thinness) of the winged globe appurtenance.  Fakes are typically thicker than a quarter, originals are thinner than a dime.  Many originals have peened or split pins to affix them to the Signal Corps device but I have seen soldered versions.

 

I hope that helps.

 

Warm regards.

 

Chris