How do you tell a Caterpillar Club Badge

[keflin2612]

Hi all,
Is there some kind knowledgeable person who can explain to me how to tell a genuine Caterpillar Club Badge from a repro. I'm going to look at one in a few days time but not actually having seen one in the flesh before I don't really know what I should be looking for and am I right in thinking there are two different types.
Cheers Kev.

[SAS1]

Those issued by the Irvin company, even up to the present day have the recipients name engraved on the reverse, something Ive never seen on a repro. The only repro's I know of are those by 'BigglesRFC' on ebay which are good.

Genuine ones have red glass eyes while the modern version has red enamelled eyes (red circles). There are stories of some having green and blue eyes which relate to bail outs over the sea or from burning aircraft but this is a myth. If any such badge exists (which I've not seen in 30 years collecting) its down to lack of the red material during the war.

Lastly, which may not be a help, the genuine Irvin ones were gilt finished, which in some cases will have worn off when polished. The modern repros look more anodised.

[David Tremain]

I saw one at the Ottawa show the other day, complete with card, but there was no name on it. It had red eyes but whether they were glass or enamel I couldn't say. I was tempted, but without a provenance I concluded it might be a fake. David

[Phillip Herring]

Saw one on a veteran in a Kingston restaurant a few years ago.

phil

[seebee1]

Three orignal examples for you Kev, if you check-out the details this should help you. Two of those I attach have a Roller clasp fastener, one has a Safety pin type. Regards, Clive.

[Artynut]

Stunning collection......and history too!....Super!....D.J.

[keflin2612]

Thanks Clive, thats helped me out a lot.
Cheers Kev.

[SAS1]

Kev

Here are two genuine ones, the top one being from Irvins about 15 years ago, the other a wartime issue badge. Note the top one has red enamel eyes, the other red glass. Also how the pin on the back is fixed different ways round. The recent one has the pin fixed to the tail and clasp to the head, the wartime one has the pin fixed to the head and the clasp at the tail.

Both have slightly different catches, and looking at the back you will notice the smooth sides to the modern one and more pronounced ribs to the wartime one. Lastly, which I guess would depend on the length of the name, the recent one has the rank over the name, the wartime one the rank before the name.

As might have been noticed, one was presented to Pilot Officer Tony Burcher RAAF for his bail out during the dams raid.

[SAS1]

Couple on ebay

This one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/0298-Silve...item3c9bcb8382 is a poor effort, being far too short in the body and with eyes that are too large.

This one is good, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RAF-WW2-Me...item2315bc8ba8 but very 'yellow' in colour. One noticabale item is the whiskers on the front are spaced individually, but as you can see on the above, genuine ones are not so.

[LONGSHANKS]

There's another one here on Ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WW2-NAMED-AA...ht_2814wt_1017


Simon.

[keflin2612]

When I take a look at the one I'm going for, if it all looks to be genuine and I'm guessing it will be as it is coming from a reliable source what sort of money should I be looking at paying bearing in mind it is a ww2 one.
Cheers Kev.

[karenp2001]

Thanks for this information. I just had a WWII veteran ask me if I knew what one of these pins was as he just noticed it on a uniform in his collection and I didn't, so I let my fingers do the walking. He's the owner of the WWII Library and Museum here in Nebraska and is selling out...he's 87 years old and now wants to travel! If anyone is interested in talking to him about anything military-related you might be looking for, let me know and I'll put you in touch with him.

[achern]

Chaps, I took a look in my baby's cot and found something I thought I'd share with all of you:



; )

Cheers,
alf

[grenadierguardsman]

That's got to be a scarce one.

Hello,
Wandered what you thought of this one please?
David