Vintage AACA plate topper

['72 LeSabre]

I recently purchased this topper.  It caught my eye because of it's old age and weight.  The U's appear as V's.  The back is inscribed "Pattern  Do not destroy  1944"

 

Maybe this was done to save it from a metal scrap drive?  Any other ideas?

 

Thanks

[Real Steel]

A fantastic piece, I love it!  I hope you uncover the history for all of us to enjoy and learn from.  

[ply33]

I wonder if it is actually a master pattern that was used to make molds for producing the toppers.

[lump]

I have one like this. No inscription on back, though. 

 

[AJFord54]

I have a two of them - pretty sure no "Pattern".  While common, they are class pieces - well made.  Yours is especially nice.  Great find!

Perhaps you might swap for a couple of old replacements from the AACA and offer it to them for the library.  I would think they would appreciate it for historical purposes.  

Edited July 19, 2018 by AJFord54 (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna]

The earlier logo for the AACA looked pretty much

the same as the current one, but as you noted, 

the letters "U" were the ancient Roman style that looked

like letters "V."  By some time in the 1950's, the letters

were U's.

 

Your example must have been a master of some type,

used for molding others.  It would not have been marked

"pattern" just to save it from a scrap drive:  Its owner wouldn't

discard a newly purchased item in 1944 just to contribute scrap!

Edited July 19, 2018 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Steve Moskowitz]

Nope!!  It is not a master, there are plenty of these around with the same inscription on the back.  We have a couple in the library.  Steve Rossi is doing a story on our emblem for a future issue of the magazine.  Sorry, but we have never been able to get the definitive story on this particular piece

[Restorer32]

If these emblems were cast using the lost wax technique the inscription on the back would also be reproduced if the original pattern had the inscription. I suspect that is the case since the inscription seems to have been in the casting rather than scratched in. The original pattern had the inscription so all emblems produced using that pattern would be likewise inscribed. Now if you find one with that inscription scratched in you might really have something.

[Terry Bond]

Wonder if these were done by a region and not through official channels?  It'll be interesting to see the story on or logo's history.

Terry

[Steve Moskowitz]

Terry definitely done by national, before your time!!

['72 LeSabre]

Thanks for the responses.  Hopefully the full history of these will come out one day.

 

I look forward to Steve's article.

[Joe in Canada]

Castings have shrinkage to them. You could measure them and the largest one could have been the pattern. Just a thought.