Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack8
The fact that the badge on the lighter beret looks to have had its scroll messed with should have been a major red flag. Astonishing amount to pay for these.
Jack
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I noticed the scroll too. This pattern of badge is one of the most faked WWII ones. The interesting thing is that some of these have material backing the scroll rather than embroidery which is an immediate giveaway. The scroll on the badge of the lighter beret doesn't sit with the rest of the badge for me. It could be sewn in over a material scroll backing. It may be a trick of the light, but the scroll seems lighter and fresher than the flames. There doesn't appear to have been any UV evaluation of the badge. A number of the fake WWII badges look very convincing but Excalibur fluoresces strongly which is a red flag.
It's always better if one can handle an item in person so this means that potentially my evaluation criteria are higher when buying on-line. I have to say neither item passed my (admittedly subjective) 'Would I bid on eBay' test and I may have missed something special but good luck to the buyer. I can't say the berets aren't original, but they raised sufficient doubts for me not to want to speculate that sort of money on them.
Graham