How about South Salem Studios model ships? These were WW2-produced models and most of them had this information inscribed on the side. I have quite a few SSSM and most or all have id. info on them. I have seen a few examples of models by other, little known ship producers that have id info, mostly on the side and some with raised lettering.
The only producer who engraved the names or class names of ships on the side was Comet Authenticast. And not all of their models had the names on the sides, especially those models that they copied from Wiking, and TreMo. In addition, very early C/A’s which can be found on Ebay etc. and were very inaccurate, lacked the engravings. These models, first produced by Comet, were all rejected by the military due to their poor quality and none were used in the boxed wartime sets. But rather than melt them down, the Slonim brothers, kept them, selling them after the war. Note, that while lead was a strategic material during the war, companies like Comet and Framburg were allotted as much as they needed.
Superior took over the C/A molds in 1961 and their early models were either ones remaining in C/A’s inventory, or else copies. As time passed and molds were redone, the engraved names were eliminated.
Many collectors and sellers are unable to determine if a model is an original C/A or a Superior. But for those of us who collected the models in the 1950s, the differences, which can be numerous, are obvious.
of the ship on the right hand side, rear?
I bought my first Superior models from a chap in Epsom in the UK who, I think, had taken it upon himself to be a distributer of Superior. All of the battleship models I had off him had the name stamped in this way.
At the time - probably 1969 - I had no idea that the models were duplicates of, or developed from, recognition models. I bought IJN ships - I thought they were wonderful then!
Later I was introduced to Delphin and Hansa which I liked, and it was only much later than Neptun and other makes became known to me.
It’s hard to say who made it without seeing the model. Can you post a photo?
As old metal models go, Framburgs, made during WW II for the military, were very accurate, though characterized by soft rather than sharp edges to their structures. But in many cases, they were the best, most accurate metal models of particular ships, until Neptun produced them. Superior phased out many Comet Authenticast models in favor of copies of Framburgs, though Superior made numerous changes and additions, often to the detriment of the original models. Original Framburgs did have clear clean undersides with legible markings.
I suspect that many others, like me, have become spoiled by the exquisite quality now becoming commonplace with new model offerings. Whether made the old-fashioned way and enhanced with photo etch (like Seavee) or made by 3-D printing (such as Nanomaquettes and others), what is now possible is a feast for the eyes, but also a punch to the pocketbook. Recently I was trolling through a selection of newly-listed used models at 1250ships.com. I saw a Portland class heavy cruiser that was pretty obviously "old school" but I thought it looked like it might be pretty good. I bought it. Once it arrived, I found myself very pleased with it. Though lacking in the level of detail (every bollard and anchor-chain link), it was a very sharp, clean casting. Side by side with my Nanomaquettes pre-war Indianapolis it looked very simple, but in a nevertheless satisfying way. I'm note sure of the manufacturer (Comet Authenticate, Superior, etc.), but it lacks a molded-in class name on the hull side, and is likewise devoid of maker marks underneath. Regardless, I wonder what other "old" models there are out there that you, my fellow collectors, still look at as being pretty good and attractive models. Anyone care to share?
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