Death Plaque Copy?

[Guest Wolfie Mozart]

I’ve just come across a slightly mysterious object. It is a death plaque, correct dimensions, named to Stephen Charles James Kite. Cursory checks list him as Pte. 37970, 6th Bn Leicestershire Regiment, killed 21 Mar 1918 (age 19). It has been mounted in a small cardboard box with a glazed lid, embellished with Haig Fund poppies and, rather bizarrely, two small plastic(?) buttons depicting the reverses of the War Medal and QSA (obviously he was too young to have been in South Africa). To cap it all there is a label in Chinese and English on the bottom of the box for a firm called Shell Handicrafts, 'Made in China' and various stock numbers, as well as an unconnected inscription in English valuing the item at £10 in 1993.

I bought it in a job lot at auction, where it was described as a reproduction. Given the Chinese element and the buttons, I’d tend to agree with this, but the plaque itself ‘feels’ right – a bit shiny but it might have been polished, and a Google search for the recipient’s distinctive name hasn’t thrown up anything regarding fakes. Overall, the box has a patina of age, and it is always possible that it was an empty Chinese box adapted for use as a display case.

Can anyone shed any light on this peculiar concoction? (See attached photos.)

[Medaler]

One small clue perhaps. I gather that poppies have not had "Haig fund" centres since 1994. That would seem to give the ensemble 22 years worth of age at least. Perhaps some digging in old catalogues would show that £10.00 was a realistic valuation for a genuine item in 1993. From memory, it seems about the right sort of money for those days. That would tend to support that it is pukka. For the life of me, I can also not see that anyone was faking or reproducing these items back then, because there was simply no money in doing so. Balancing all that lot together, I think you had a good deal !!

Regards,

Mike

[Guest Wolfie Mozart]

Thanks Mike, that would tally with the 1993 inscription. The pictures I posted are not very clear, but I do feel that this is a genuine plaque and the adaptation of a box that contained an unconnected Chinese product has fooled the auctioneer into thinking it was a fake. The button-sized medals are a bit of a mystery, though - they do seem to be plastic.

[GWF1967]

Thanks Mike, that would tally with the 1993 inscription. The pictures I posted are not very clear, but I do feel that this is a genuine plaque and the adaptation of a box that contained an unconnected Chinese product has fooled the auctioneer into thinking it was a fake. The button-sized medals are a bit of a mystery, though - they do seem to be plastic.

Is there a casting No. on the plaque, by the back leg of the Lion? I would have thought its presence or not to be an indicator as fine details would be likely lost copying.

[redbarchetta]

The plastic medals are, perhaps, from one of those petrol station 'collectable' folders from the 80s/90s, where you got a cardboard presentation folder and then collected these tokens (medals, coins etc) to push in to recesses in the folder.

As people have said, if this plaque is bronze (compare the weight to a genuine one) then certainly genuine and just put together in this box by someone who didn't really know any better!

Given we don't know what you paid, Mike is a bit presumptuous suggesting you got a good deal, but I would say you have got a genuine memorial plaque at any rate!!

James

[Sepoy]

Details of a well known copy Memorial Plaque can be seen here
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/fake_memorial_plaque/death.htm

Sepoy

[Medaler]

The plastic medals are, perhaps, from one of those petrol station 'collectable' folders from the 80s/90s, where you got a cardboard presentation folder and then collected these tokens (medals, coins etc) to push in to recesses in the folder.

As people have said, if this plaque is bronze (compare the weight to a genuine one) then certainly genuine and just put together in this box by someone who didn't really know any better!

Given we don't know what you paid, Mike is a bit presumptuous suggesting you got a good deal, but I would say you have got a genuine memorial plaque at any rate!!

James

Hi James, you are right of course! My presumption of a "good deal" was based on the concept that Wolfie bought it as a copy, he did say that it was described as such by the vendor.

Warmest regards,

Mike

[Old Owl]

In 1993 the price of such a Memorial Plaque would be somewhere in the region of between £5 and £15 depending upon where it was for sale.

The chances are that this is a genuine M/Plaque--it certainly looks very convincing

[davidhughhill]

I don't think memorial plaques could be faked like this , then or now .

Davie

[Guest]

Hello, I was surfing the internet to find out information about my great Uncle Stephen Charles James Kite and I this is his death plaque!  I am very interested to  know if you still have this in your possession.  Kind regards.

[Michelle Young]

Regrettably the OP is no longer a member of the forum, nor would there be contact details for them.

 

Michelle