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Happy Collecting, Ron & Kanae
ARTIFACT:
This is a Fantastic circa 1919 United State Air Service Pilot Wing of Harold L. Coffee in Sterling FROM OFFICIAL DIE by S. N. Meyer.
Rare to find a FROM OFFICIAL DIE US Air Service wing. Even
more rare to find one with a maker mark. Again more rare for that mark to be S.
N. Meyer of Washington DC. Unheard of to have all of that going on, AND to be
engraved with the name of the original wearer. A one-of-a-kind wing.
Lieutenant Harold L. "Smiling Bud" Coffee was a Reserve Military Aviator in the USAS
during WWI, but he did not serve overseas. His post-war military service was short-lived, and he became a very active private pilot. Sadly his career as a private pilot was also short-lived, as he was killed along with 3 other passengers on 14 July 1921 while flying a Jacuzzi J-7 seven passenger monoplane when the left wing tore free of the fuselage.
An episode of History Hunter goes into detail about that crash: Deadly 1921 Modesto Jacuzzi
J-7 Plane Crash from Yosemite - YouTube
VINTAGE:
Circa 1919.
SIZE:
Approximately 7/8" in height x 3" in length.
MATERIALS / CONSTRUCTION:
Sterling silver.
ATTACHMENT:
Horizontal pin with drop-in locking catch.
MARKINGS:
S.N. MEYER
WASH'N D.C.
FROM
OFFICIAL DIE
STERLING
ITEM NOTES:
This is from a US Air Corps / Air Service collection which we will be listing more of over the next few months. CON-RLB-VABJL04/00-2022 LBDIEX08/18/22 SBDJJX08/19/22
CONDITION:
7- (Very Fine-): Retaining about 10% of the original lacquer finish on the obverse, and about 55% on the reverse. Light wear with mottled light to moderate patina on obverse, more uniform patina on reverse. Original catch, most likely a Tiffany style, was jeweler replaced during the period of wear with a more robust drop in locking catch.
GUARANTEE: As with all my artifacts, this piece is guaranteed to be original, as described.
