Thank you good to know this

Bonjour.   Two helmets from a DRMO in Germany.    Sol.      

I recently purchased a "lot" of pins / badges. Most WWII and some pre. I came across this one. It is a little strange to me. The badge is hallmarked "23". I can not find any hallmarks on the bars. There is tarnishing and cant tell if there is one. I have multiple questions on this one. I have never seen it, and cant seem to find anything on it. But has anyone ever seen an "expert bar". I am not understanding why the badge and bar would "repeat" itself. Also has anyone seen this "23" hallmark? The badge itself with the clasp IMO say WWII US made. Just a bit stumped on this piece. Thanks.

Louis Jones with Unidentified Marine, Okinawa, 1945 From the Louis R. Jones Collection  (Official USMC archive photograph)  

I think that maybe Heath could provide some insight with his data base on dies.  It seems that Link may have sold their dies and stock to AMCRAFT sometime around the end of WWI but before WWII (I would guess maybe right around 1920-1930--although to my knowledge the exact date is unknown).  AMCRAFT continued to make wings until around the end of WWII, when they appear to go out of business (you don't seem to find any AMCRAFT wings from the KW period that couldn't be explained as WWII stock sold in the 50's).  For example, I know there wasn't an Alpha/numeric code for AMCRAFT or AMICO). Some other companies, like Dondero, used AMCRAFT wing patterns, suggesting that the dies were bought after AMCRAFT went out of business sometime after WWII.  Post WWII GEMSCO seemed to have also bought AMICO dies/stock, as you will sometimes see transition wings with both GEMSCO and AMICO hallmarks.    My best guess is that, as a retail store/catalog supply company, GEMSCO had a bunch of wholesale suppliers that simply sold their wares via the GEMSCO catalog.  I had heard similar stories about NS Meyer doing the same sort of thing.  Back many years ago, when I had more time than sense, I made up this "timeline" of Link/AMCRAFT/Dondero.  It all my guess work, so I am probably wrong at many different levels... but maybe the smarter collectors could tap into their vast knowledge and build on this.   LOL P

Somebody got a really nice buckle on eBay the other day.     

More of Dad's souvenirs from the Middle East and Africa.      

I've just one #2-8  1990s, I think.

I love the #2, any date, any hilt.   Timeless.    

My Dad brought this home from his time in the Pacific in WW II.