Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Owen
Chaps,
Following an earlier thread I would ask for people to post any pictures they have of 1916 economy badges with either the Wooward mark or any non Woodward ASC or East Surrey badges.
I have photographed my ASC and ESurreys with what I know to be 100% genuine Essex regt badge for comparison. The Woodward ones are both yellower metal and in pristine condition. However these are sold by well known dealers as genuine otherwise I wold be even more suspicious of them. Indeed the 1916 Woodward Inniskillings goes for a large sum and yet it exhibits all the traits of my 2 Woodward badges.
Thanks
Alan
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Alan,
Promised myself I leave the forum alone for today but feel like I need to answer.
The economy Skins Woodward badge I won off ebay hasn't arrived yet so I can't say hand on heart it feels right, but the reason for me buying it was simple and not to do with the Woodward stamp but the die. If there's one thing I've learnt on the forum its: if its from the right die its OK no matter how it looks - like that '02 Dorsetshire you showed me Alan which to be honest looked pretty ghastly but was from the same die as mine and yours genuine examples so must have been genuine despite looking very dodgey to the point where if I found it at a fair I wouldn't touch it... but I suppose its just the way things are kept and age in part.
I hope you don't mind Wilf but I've borrowed your pic to illustrate my point.
The woodward die appears to have a flaw on the bottom part of the towers bases, I've highlighted the area on a couple pics followed by highlighting the lines themselves.
If you have questions of mine being a restrike from the same die then why aren't they all restrikes? I'm sure if they were being made we'd see more of them but I think I can only claim to see about one a year (definite crap aside).
The colour of the badge can be down to many things and it might be with my one Alan which I'm sure your very sceptical about due to the conditions it was kept it, or even the lighting from the flash in the photo... Saying that, it could be the conditions Lew's and Wilf's we kept in to send them a darker colour as like you say Woodward's badges do seem to be slightly more brassy. But then again this could also be down to the explaination as I suggested on a previous thread that it is to do with the company Woodwards were sourcing their metal from in that period.
Secondly the dealer who's on the forum btw has listed two lots of badges over the last month and I didn't see anything amongst his listings that looked restrike or made to decieve... indeed I even bought an East Lancs off him and its the best one I have by far, this '16 Skins is also the rarest item he's listed by far no VB's coming out your ears so I believe he got them from a reliable source and was happy with the authenticity of all his badges. To quote the old line "if it looks like a duck and hangs out with ducks its probably a duck."
Having said all that I haven't felt the badge and may end up eating my words but if I get it and its duff I'll stand up like a man and admit it on here before I send it back. 'till then I'm happy its OK with everyone elses.
Cheers,
Luke