Zimmerman Skull with Plated Prongs

[Saladin]

Hello All,
I purchased this skull to go with my fake examples as it looked like a casting of the cone style Zimmerman skulls.
Now it has arrived I see that the maker has added pins that have a base plate soldered to the area where the cones or crimped pins would be fitted.
The more I look at it the more I feel that it could be an unusual original?

Any comments or opinions welcomed.

All the best
Doug

[Saladin]

Look at these flattened anomalies.

[Aldo]

Hello Doug, I believe it does stand a chance of being authentic. It looks like it started out as a cones style Zimmermann based on the remnants of the circles under the circular plate pins. The edges look crisp not sloppy like a cast piece. However, the front really lacks detail. I'm not sure if that's due to the corrosion from being ground dug, water logged or subjected to some other chemical process. It almost looks like the aluminum core is showing beneath the corroded copper Our colleague another ant may have a better perspective on this than I. I just wouldn't discount it as a fake yet. I hope I'm not wrong.

Here is my cone style for comparison.

[Saladin]

Thank you for the input Al.
I did find a similar badge on WAF but there was only a rear picture of a similar badge with pins similar to what this one is fitted with.
I’ve compared it to the Zimmerman’s that I’m aware of. So the aluminium, Cupal and zinc but none have these pins.
It is a peculiar one. I’ve never come across a reproduction with this set up before.
All the best
Doug

[another ant]

That's a fake aged copy , surely because without manipulating it is more obvious to detect that it is false.
It's full of red flags, I'll show you two.

1- Although the remains of m1/72 had magically disappeared from numbers 499/41 present in more or less clarity in the original skulls..
You will never find this setting or form of 9 on the original skulls.



The missing link between the hitch circle and the eye , nose that is present on all 499/41s cone or not cone configuration does not exist.



sorry but is bad.

[Saladin]

Another Ant,
that is an absolutely great post describing those minute details identifying the badge to be an aged fake.

Thank you very much for your input imparting your knowledge.

All the best
Doug