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How to Spot Fake World War II Patches

Collecting is a hobby enjoyed by a wide range of people that involves guns, glassware, fishing lures, books and other items. Patches collected by many enthusiasts with World War II patches being favored by many. The goal is to collect authentic World War II patches used or issued during the war years from 1939 to 1945. From U.S. Army Tank Corps patches to German Luftwaffe patches, it is important to have the ability to recognize counterfeit patches to avoid wasting money.

Things You'll Need

World War II patch
World War II replica patch

Instructions

- 1
  Read reference books, collector's books and historical material to better understand the patches used by land, air and sea forces of the Allied and Axis forces.
- 2
  Compare a specific authentic patch from a World War II division or unit with a replica patch. Look at the similarities and differences between the two. Use, for example, an authentic 8th Army patch to compare to a replica 8th Army patch.
- 3
  Look at the back of an genuine World War II patch at the milky-white backing. War years' manufacturing techniques produced patches with a milky-white to white-green backing.
- 4
  Examine the edge of a patch to determine its authenticity. Look at the edge just beyond the yolk border. World War II patches will have a cut appearance, while post-war patches will appear clean along the yolk border. World War II patches were embroidered onto fabric and then cut out.
- 5
  Look at the thread used to embroider the patch. Determine if the thread is cotton or synthetic. Only cotton thread was used during the war years to produce patches.

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