TOPIC:

Copy SA01 and SA02 clasps at the bottom compared to originals at the top, identified as copies by Spink.

Hi David

Thank you for sharing the last few photos with a comparison. It serves to make the differences easier to understand.

There is a single Defence of Mafeking clasp in the next Noble Numismatics auction ( www.noble.com.au/auctions/lot?id=466203 ). Listed as being an original clasp. There was no picture so I requested one.

What do you think about this clasp?


picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

My thoughts below















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I think this is a copy. Original clasp shown below.



There are five indicators:

1. Some letters are on a slight slant to the right eg the O in Of
2. The thickness of some letters eg the diagonal of the N in Defence and in Mafeking
3. The fact that the middle descender in the M in Mafeking does not reach the base of the letter. This is the first aspect I look for in copy clasps.
4. The lugs appear to be of different sizes. Also the top lugs should be flush with the edge of the clasp
5. The letters in the copy are not as well defined or crisp as in the original

The clasp may also have greater height than the original but this is difficult to ascertain from the image.

I have emailed Noble Numismatics.

David and others interested
I agree that it is a copy clasp; several of the letters look "flattened" to me - I could say blurred.
Regards
IL.

Noble Numismatics responded that they would look again at the clasp but checking just now, the description is unchanged:

In the end, Noble Numismatics did not alter the description for this lot so the buyer has a surprise in store.