A bit more on this particular collar.
I'll write more about this in a future post as I think the general results are quite significant when related to identifying replicas but I had a non-destructive, test done on this and other CAF insignia yesterday using a SEM-EDX (scanning electron microscope with an energy-dispersive X-ray for elemental analysis). It provides semi-quantitative details about the elements and their abundance in metal objects.
As might be expected, the base piece is effectively 100% pure copper and the CAF overlay is very close to 100% silver (and not sterling or plating). There is some trace amount of silicon present, the origin of which isn't clear; perhaps contamination.
Some original CAF monograms only have silver coating.
Just another tool for insignia identification.
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