Agree Ron. Seems like the same hand/style. Here is another one in the NO column (for me). 

This one set in a corn crib for decades.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, 1st Minnesota said:

There is also a name with the uniform. Comes with the pants. From an auction in upstate New York 

The patch on that uniform is definitely bad. Stay away from it. Those came out also around 20-25 years ago. A well known dealer in Missoula Montana sold a bunch of that stuff through his catalogue. I have to admit, they were some of the first buys I made in the USMC WWI field. To his credit, a few years later he took my set (a uniform identical to the one you just showed) and a fake painted helmet back for the price I paid. All of the helmets from “Nebraska” just shown are part of those fakes as well. Unfortunate this stuff is stil around and being sold. Heed Austins earlier advice, find examples of both the patches and helmets on this forum and stay away from those that don't look like what has been posted in collection here. 

1 hour ago, doyler said:

This one set in a corn crib for decades.

 

 

 

That looks like a nice original helmet Doyler. Some of these faded away over the years. 

The lighting for the tunic I showed was very bright. It looks brand new but it is worn. The lighting doesn’t show it

Could be a real tunic, 15-20 years ago those unpatched WWI dated tunics were selling for $200-$300. Rest assured that patch is fake so was sewn on it probably 25 years ago. 

42 minutes ago, warguy said:

Could be a real tunic, 15-20 years ago those unpatched WWI dated tunics were selling for $200-$300. Rest assured that patch is fake so was sewn on it probably 25 years ago. 

I agree that the patch is a fake, I’d stay clear of it. take some time and read this post on 2nd Division shoulder insignia. 
 

 

What a great conversation on WWI USMC lids and patches. Sorry I am a little late to the conversation, but I thought I would add a couple of pictures of helmets discussed  - 83rd MG Co. 6th Regiment - Purple Diamond (Grouping), 2nd 6th Reg (Yellow Diamond), 3rd 6th Reg (Blue Diamond), 6th MG BN (Purple Oval). I thought I would add a USMC EGA elaborate piece, and the little known 15th Separate Battalion - Red Shield (Mission-536:Schleswig-Holstein Expedition = 702 Marines). Thanks again to all as I found the information and conversation shared outstanding. Always learning on the forum! 

 

Good hunting! 

You have a quality collection there. Good grief where have you been? Those are all beautiful examples and what appears to be one of the only "real" purple diamond helmets I have ever seen. My 3/6 Blue diamond helmet is by the same artists that did yours. It is a well known hand in that unit, although not my favorite artwork necessarily, but right as rain. I remember that "elaborate" piece when it came to market, and thought what an attractive helmet it is. Thanks for sharing, I hope you contribute more in the future. You have a good eye. Kevin

Very nice 2/6 pieces. Both the helmet and patch. Of course love anything from the 15th Sep. Bn. 

 

Would really like to see close up images of the 73rd Co. helmet and patches. The 6th MGB helmet also. 

Thanks Kevin and Eric for the feedback, its appreciated very much. A lot of listening, learning, researching, and a few mis-steps over 20 years. Plus the forum has helped me obtain a lot of valuable information. Please see below a sample of some more of my collection -  

• 6th MG BN Helmet
• 6th MG BN Patch
• MG Co 6th Reg Front
• MG Co 6th Reg Liner
• MG Co 6th Reg Side
• MG Co 6th Reg Shoulder Patch
• MG Co 6th Reg Shoulder Extra Patch
• 5th MG Co Patch 
• HQ 5th Reg 
• 1st 5th Reg
• HQ 6th Reg
• 1st 6th Reg

Kevin 

Thanks for posting. The HQ/5 and 1/5 are spot on originals and the HQ/6 camo is probably the best of the bunch IMO. 

 

The 73rd grouping and 6th MGB helmet would not be for me but that is just my opinion. 

 

Is the 8th Co. patch sewn to a tunic? It looks very similar (different angle/lighting) to a loose patch that I had some time ago which came from the estate of John L. Woolley. The patch looks very dark (almost black) but it is indeed purple. Woolley was indeed in the 8th Co. The estate seller sold everything separately and I was not able to get the dog tags. 

Yes it's the Wooley patch, pinned on, but not sewn. Just for display along with his medals. Full transparency, I feel it looks better temporarily on a tunic than in a display box in a closet. 

The 6th grouping came from the original family, to include his suitcase, helmet, overseas cap, tunic, pants, hobnail boots, wallet with Fourragere ID card, backpark, canteen, suspenders, belt, service records, leather document holder, personal photo album while overseas (battle and trench scenes, Lejeune troop inspections, etc) and wool german blanket bringback. Along with no black light glow on patches or helmet, so it checked all the boxes for me. 

 

Really appreciate your feedback. 

Just for a reference here are two highly detailed 2\6th patches that I have had for 10+ years. Thought some would like to see them. Thanks for your interest and time. 

 

Great Collection!! Thanks for sharing 

I really like the top 2/6 patch. Classic design with silk screened star. I have been looking for a good representative 2/6 patch for a long time. They are hard to find. I have never seen one like the bottom one, and would want to see one from an attributed collection before trusting that one.  Thanks for sharing both!

12 minutes ago, warguy said:

I really like the top 2/6 patch. Classic design with silk screened star. I have been looking for a good representative 2/6 patch for a long time. They are hard to find. I have never seen one like the bottom one, and would want to see one from an attributed collection before trusting that one.  Thanks for sharing both!

I agree with Kevin on that top 2/6 patch, that art is my favorite of the 2nd Infantry Division and matches a 23rd Infantry Regiment uniform that I have below. I would love to find a Marine Uniform with your 2/6 patch on it. 

 

 

Both of these are in my collection as well, and belong to a named DSC, NC, PH grouping I have. The photo shows him wearing the top patch on his uniform. I obtained only the patches the top one removed, the uniform unfortunately is long gone. Love these silk screened style patches for sure. 

WOW!! What an amazing grouping!! Thanks for sharing.  

Here is a new listing that just posted for sale on ebay, seller: 66vw_lover. Based on my knowledge so far, I do not recognize the artwork as something that I have seen before, and I am assuming this is an attempt at a Company E Composite Regiment helmet? Everyone that I have seen is a clean looking smooth finish with MUCH better-looking artwork. Any tother thoughts?? 

 

Here are a couple more bogus Marine helmets that just hit the market:

 

 

This one I just had to share, as it's a US helmet that's had it's liner replaced, and the doofus inserted a (British) donut above the US pad in the crown when he riveted in the liner:

36 minutes ago, AustinO said:

Here are a couple more bogus Marine helmets that just hit the market:

 

 

This one I just had to share, as it's a US helmet that's had it's liner replaced, and the doofus inserted a (British) donut above the US pad in the crown when he riveted in the liner:

 

Geez, you would think They would at least place an ega on a Marine helmet, not an Army 23rd Infantry HQ one. No it is not Marine 77th Company! I bet someone pays good money for it though, that seems to be the trend lately. Thanks for posting, we need to record all of these we can for future buyers as these will all hit the market again. 

1 hour ago, gearhead1968 said:

Here is a new listing that just posted for sale on ebay, seller: 66vw_lover. Based on my knowledge so far, I do not recognize the artwork as something that I have seen before, and I am assuming this is an attempt at a Company E Composite Regiment helmet? Everyone that I have seen is a clean looking smooth finish with MUCH better-looking artwork. Any tother thoughts?? 

 

Austin, I saw this helmet in post 95 as well. I don't think it is an attempt to copy the Composite Company E.helmet, but it is a bad one. At least the seller is somewhat forthcoming, admitting he doesn’t have an “eye” for these and is not sure if it is real or not. He also points out that it is painted on the side of the helmet and not the front. I don't ever remember seeing a good WWI painted Marine helmet with the star Indianhead on the side, and certainly not a Composite helmet. Anyway….as you probably know the insignia itself would be closer to the Army version of the Composite helmet insignia I have seen. Once or twice I have seen the Army Composite design come up for sale advertised as a Marine Composite, and once someone had rdined a perfectly good Army Composite helmet by putting an ega on it. All of the Marine Composite helmets have a very distinctive rainbow colored headdress and a red faced Indianhead. The shells in most I have seen have been painted gloss green as well. Fortunately most of those were captured nicely in a pretty clear period yardlong photo of Company E (Marines). IIRC there are two shots, one with them wearing the helmets, the other with the helmets lying beside them. All helmets I see in that photo match in terms of artwork and design.  This was a spit and polish unit formed for parades, dignitary functions etc., so it is no surprise they wanted all their helmets to look the same. And just to geek out a bit more, all of the helmets in the yardlong photo have NO ega’s on them. I know of one Composite helmet with an ega on the front that was once in a prominent collection and I think is good. Perhaps that Marine put the ega on it himself after he came home. All other composite helmets from company E that I felt were authentic have no ega on them. Kevin

8 minutes ago, warguy said:

 

Geez, you would think They would at least place an ega on a Marine helmet, not an Army 23rd Infantry HQ one. No it is not Marine 77th Company! I bet someone pays good money for it though, that seems to be the trend lately. Thanks for posting, we need to record all of these we can for future buyers as these will all hit the market again. 

I have actually been saving photos of things like this on a thumb drive and try to save some of them comments explaining why they are bad, so I have them for future refence 

Here is a classic one looker company E Marine Composite helmet