Canadian Provost Corps printed...

[Bill A]

About 20 years ago a flurry of reproduction and fantasy printed titles showed up on the market. They were commissioned by a now deceased dealer from Ottawa. These were relatively easy to spot, with the colours being off, no cut lines, odd lettering, etc.With the passage of time, their provenance has disappeared. Unfortunatley, they are still making the rounds: http://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-Canadia...item19d7122ac8

[Bill A]

Here is the correct pattern.

[Tanker Mike]

I saw a dealer in Edmonton last year trying to flog these and RCMP patches, I advised him that they were copies (very nicely) and his reaction was to be very upset and told me off.
Oh well...

[ProCoy]

Didn't even realise they made genuine printed versions of this one.

Can I just ask - are there variants ?

Or can I use the image posted by Bill as a "benchmark" in that any not exactly the same (distinctive Serifs to the letters C and S etc) are fake.

Another one to have to try and find

Are they rare ?

[Bill A]

Hello ProCoy, The details of correct titles should be exactly the same. The screens were cut and the titles printed from them from 1943 until 1945. There are different weights of material used in the printing, Cotton Drill No 2 and Satin Drill No 2. The first is heavier/coarser than the satin drill.
Printed titles are not uncommon. They are getting up in price depending on the unit.

[WJ Miller]

I was given this title last week from a friend of my wife. She got it at a yard sale earlier in the fall. Straight from some old ladies sewing basket...

Bill A. Do you have a side by side comparison of the Cotton Drill and the Satin Drill?? Coarseness of weave is relative and hard to tell which you have if you only have one to look at!?

[48th]

The picture you posted looks to be the earlier course weave type.

[Bill A]

Here is an image of the two... see if you can spot them. When in hand it is easy to feel the difference.