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Fake Heer Tropical Breast Eagles


DAK D

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Here is my first educational thread designed to help fellow collectors determine what is an original tropical eagle and what is fake. There are many more copies that could be added, but most are very easy to spot and they are sold as copies.

 

1/ A very bad copy of a first pattern tropical breast eagle. The construction is bad and the head is deformed, but these sell as orignal.

2/ Another bad copy possibly from the 1970's

3/ A very good modern copy let down by the wings feathers. Be very careful with this type, as they catch many collectors off guard.


4/ This tropical breast eagle is from the late 1980's and early 90's it is a very good copy, but the head is deformed and the eagle backing and thread is synthetic. This one is also a dangerous copy.

5/ Points of interest to compare with the original eagles that I am going to post...

6/ This photo shows the front and back of another copy eagle that is like the one in photo number two.

 

Fake 1st.jpg

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IMG_1974.JPG

IMG_1975.JPG

Eagle_back.png

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IMG_1974 - Copy.JPG

trop woven eagle.jpg

Edited by DAK D
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Now I am going to share some photos of original tropical breast eagles from my own collection.

1/ These two photos show the front and back of an original early cotton Heer tropical breast eagle. The early eagles details were more bold when compared to the flatter eagle detail of the later rayon/cotton based versions..

2/ Another early tropical breast eagle still attached to a part of the tropical uniform. This eagle was stitched by hand to the tropical blouse and it is typical for late 1940 and early 1941. The reverse shows the original hand application and the top part of the key hole stitching for the breast pocket.

3/ A later tropical breast eagle as removed from a captured member of Gebergsjager Reg 756 in Tunisia. Note how the eagle was straight machine stitched to the tropical field blouse.

4/ Points of interest on an original to compare with the best fake available now. The reproduction has four wing feathers and an original has five, please compare the red highlighted areas on the fake and orginal photos. It is also interesting to note that the fakes chest feathers continue onto the upper part of the eagles wings and this is something you will never see on an original.

 

IMG_3341.JPG

IMG_3343.JPG

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IMG_3328.JPG

IMG_3332.JPG

IMG_3341 - Copy.JPG

Edited by DAK D
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Guest Fred Karno's Army

I think a thread of this type @DAK D is a fantastic idea,I recently purchased several axis cloth badges ( Not expensive by any means ) but we're amazed how good the fakers out there are :o.I don't collect axis insignia but if it seems reasonable I will buy it and throw it in the cabinet,but I always purchase an item as repro as obviously I don't have the knowledge in this area.  :)

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Thank you Lenny :)

I hope this thread helps fellow collectors with this tricky subject.

D

Edited by DAK D
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Thanks for pics. i'm glad I don't collect them because they all look good to me.

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Hi Daniel,

Yes to the untrained eye these tropical breast eagles would all look the same, but when you have examined the real tropical eagles in hand, then the fakes stand out much more and I hope that this thread helps a few fellow collectors out along the way :)

D

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