Bronze Star Engraving - Is there a trick to telling if it's official?

**avenger** · 03-10-2015, 04:31 AM

Is there a way to know if this engraving is official WW2, personal engraved, CIB upgrade? It's on a slot brooch bronze star, but I know a lot of these were issued post WW2 for various reasons, and the engravings always give me trouble. Your thoughts are appreciated.

Bronze Star Engraving - Is there a trick to telling if it's official?

**Wagriff** · 03-10-2015, 05:55 AM

As far as I've always known, WWII-era names were hand engraved. This one looks to be possibly 50's?

**avenger** · 03-10-2015, 06:05 AM

Could very well be 50's. I wish the image was a little clearer, as I can't quite tell if it's hand engraved or not. Some engraving looks almost machined, but I noticed where the tool starts and stops tends to leave a little dot, which isn't visible in the photo, perhaps due to poor image. I did find Louis E Mangold in the NARA archives, and there was only one by that name. He enlisted in 1942, from NY. But, who knows if this wasn't done later...and there were a number of styles. I can't for the life of me find any good information online to differentiate those styles, other than like you say, they were typically hand engraved.

**avenger** · 03-28-2015, 05:17 AM

Here's another similar medal engraving on a bronze star. Would this one appear more like WW2 vintage? It looks hand engraved to me, but I know there were multiple styles, and of course there are those that were done by the veterans.