Bill S.

Kyrie,


The exact situation of a matching sideplate turning up for an unmatched sideplate gun has happened several times in my collecting career. You say that you can tell the difference but then you fail to divulge how using the excuse that you do not want to inform fakers on how to distinguish the difference even though you said that the exact subject was duscussed in this forum in the past. I still wish to be educated on how one determines the difference, even if you choose to do so by private e-mail.


The bottem line is the perception of the individual collector. If it is impossible to tell, even by an experienced expert that the part is not an original part, then it is matching in my eyes. The notion in my head that the part has been switched may be the only evidence of the substitution and if the switch is otherwise undetectable, then I am satisifyed. If you can educate me on your detection process then I will change my mind.


If you check my profile you will see that I am deeply into the vintage sportscar world and this is a discussion we vintage sportscar collectors have all the time. In this world restoration is an accepted reality though there are parameters which we endeavor to follow. Mechanical parts are generally numbered as in Lugers and mismatched parts effect value. Detecting restamped numbers is a developed expertise but in the world of Lugers there is a special situation where the numbers are not restamped only repeated and the numbers and parts are identical (Again, please educate me on how to tell the difference). We have even resorted to spectroscopy to detect replica chassis and parts. Car collectors however do not split hairs about original air in tires or original oil in crankcases and until one informes me on how to determine the differences in like kind sideplates, I will respectfully disagree with your position.


Ciao,


Bill S.