SS Officer Wire Eagle Help.
I recently picked up this SS Officer’s Aluminum bullion Sleeve Eagle at an Estate Sale/ auction of a longtime Collector. I got it in a large group. I have viewed many SS Sleeve Eagle treads on this sight, but I’m still having trouble figuring out if it’s good or not.
Any help, thoughts or opinions as to its authenticity would be greatly appreciated.
I don't see any unterlargen on this in between the bullion strands. Can you move the bullion slightly without damaging it to see the unterlargen below the wire? The age of these, even the minty ones you can see some the cardboard unterlargen below the wire as over time some shrinkage or looseness occurs revealing it.
If you touch the bullion to your lips is it cold or warm?
Not fond of the bill on this, it looks strange to me so I have some doubts with this one. Certainly is well made and so much of it conforms to original but that beak.......
Thanks for getting back to me. The wire is cold to my lips. Here’s a photo of some exposed cardboard at the needle point. I had trouble trying to spread some of the wires on the rear, to expose the unterlargen.
Thats not card board, thats light brown thread. Thats a good sign along with the bullion being cool on the lips. To see the unterlargen the bullion at the front has to be moved slightly. Maybe if you look at the wing tips from the side you might see it.
Look here at post #34 at the beak on the eagle and how well it is formed. Also note the bullion wire that forms the head, the weave is straight. On your example it looks strange.
SS Bullion Eagles, Originals vs Reproductions
The reproducers are getting really good at making these so it is difficult to discern originality on your example.
Hi Rich, thanks for the link. I know what you mean about the straight vertical aluminum strands going down to make up the head. Mine is “ a little angled, but , it seams to me mostly straight down. I don’t know if it’s just me, but quite a few “ good” eagle beaks curve down toward the left wing.
I’ve also seen some heads with a flat top of the head, and some with rounded heads.
As you suggested, I first approached the wing tip and spread the felt backing ( first photo) from the aluminum area. I don’t know if it’s “ black cardboard” or I didn’t go far enough.
Then I attempted to spread some wire from the front and “ did expose” something like a light brown cardboard under the wire on the wing ( second photo).
Hopefully, you can make “heads or tails” from the photos.
I've added a few more SS bullion officers eagles to the linked thread here:
SS Bullion Eagles, Originals vs Reproductions
I f you look closely at the examples you can see the light brown cardboard unterlargen peeking through the bullion on the eagles front side.
I've posted 2 examples of the raw unterlargen at this link. This is what to look for below the bullion front side:
SS Bullion Eagles, Originals vs Reproductions
I’ve seen the examples of the light brown/tan cardboard unterlargen on the other post. Do you think the light brown material, that I found when I spread the wire on the wing, correct?
It looked like it where you were able to push aside the bullion with the needle.
Can you try to move the bullion ever so slightly at the head portion of your eagle, which it looks loose enough to move, is there the unterlargen under the bullion?
As you saw with the images of the unterlargen examples the unterlargen head is well shaped so seeing the bullion on your insignia at the head seems strange to me the way it lays to one side and looks wavey. With the bullion like that it should be loose enough to move ever so slightly to see if the unterlargen is there.
My concern with your example is this very small but important detail. Note with this example in the image how the eagles bullion head bulges above the unterlargen and the beaks shape as well. These small details really matter in discovery.
As you are aware the reproducers are making these better and better so a lot of study with these where uncertainty lies should be done. Additionally the cost of these is no small sum anymore so one wants to be sure of originality.
As you suggested, here’s a couple photos of the Unterlargen under the wire head area. Two spots I moved some wire and found light brown (I assume cardboard unterlargen). I also took an angle photo of the head. There appears to be a slight bulge around the neck.
I think it is a good one. the darkening of the cardboard is a mystery though. are there holes from stitching around the perimeter?
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