Real or Repro??

[CWLeadManiac]

Found this breast plate on Ebay, (I know, "Ebay", lol), I'm newer to collecting and something doesn't look right about it. Not sure if it's the hooks on the back or the overall color. It's supposedly not dug. Opinions??

 

[7thWisconsin]

I´m gonna say repro. The loops on the back look really clean, with no rust. The lead fill looks more careless than originals I´ve seen. Finally, those are my initials carved into it, and I think the possibility that I´d be looking at a surviving relic with my initials on it is just too big. (Ok - that last reason is a little illogical.) Take a magnet and test the loops. The real ones were iron, and the magnet will stick really well. Repros are stainless steel and the magnet will not react as well.

 

[UCVRelics]

Found this breast plate on Ebay, (I know, "Ebay", lol), I'm newer to collecting and something doesn't look right about it. Not sure if it's the hooks on the back or the overall color. It's supposedly not dug. Opinions??

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I agree with @7thWisconsin, its a repop and the magnet will tell the tale. Plus there no wear or scratches on the front. If was Id it should have some sort of signs of use.

 

[CWLeadManiac]

I agree with @7thWisconsin, its a repop and the magnet will tell the tale. Plus there no wear or scratches on the front. If was Id it should have some sort of signs of use.

Ya know, THAT'S what's not right about it, no signs of wear on the face!!! I knew there was something but I couldn't put my finger on it. That IS very odd!

 

[Joe Whitworth]

Nicely aged repo. The eagle stamping lacks fine detail found on originals. YMMV

 

[Joe Whitworth]

I´m gonna say repro. The loops on the back look really clean, with no rust. The lead fill looks more careless than originals I´ve seen. Finally, those are my initials carved into it, and I think the possibility that I´d be looking at a surviving relic with my initials on it is just too big. (Ok - that last reason is a little illogical.) Take a magnet and test the loops. The real ones were iron, and the magnet will stick really well. Repros are stainless steel and the magnet will not react as well.

Some loops were brass, I dug one with brass loops.

 

[7thWisconsin]

Some loops were brass, I dug one with brass loops.

LOL - that´s true, but those loops clearly aren´t brass. I´m going to have to carve my initials on the back of mine this season, in case someone finds it in my stuff when I shuffle off this mortal coil.