Description
*Highly reflective so many of the photos are not in direct lighting…. The back was never polished out so it is dark and the front has a faint rub in the upper left quadrant which could be polished out. Other than this it is in bright, crisp, shiny excellent condition and has no monogram in the center cartouche.
This buckle came from an estate and is a vintage 1940s retro Art Deco gold filled belt buckle with a noticeable Art Deco geometric linear pattern made by Swank in the 1940s. The back is marked 1/20th 12K Gold Filled and will always polish up to look like solid yellow gold. Size is 1 7/8″ long east to west by 1″ wide north to south. Should fit a 1″ belt size. Weight is 16.2 grams. Good for men or women. It is very showy, noticeably older vintage; extremely crisp and not worn down, strong and very well-made. Overall this is a beautiful older vintage belt buckle for your vintage accessories collection.
- The Logo Mark: The third image shows the stylized, blocky “SWANK” logo inside a rectangular or hexagonal frame. Swank transitioned to this specific graphic typeface around 1940, shifting away from the simpler, straight serif or sans-serif block text used in the 1920s and 1930s.
- The Material Mark: The first image shows a “1/20 12K GF” stamp (partially worn but distinct). The “1/20” fraction indicates that 1/20th of the item’s total weight is 12-karat gold. While gold-filled jewelry existed earlier, this specific 1/20 fractional labeling standard became strictly codified in the United States around the late 1930s and 1940s.
- The Design Era: While the pattern features classic Art Deco parallel linear engraving, it represents early mid century “Retro Deco” styling. This clean, minimalist aesthetic remained highly popular for men’s business accessories throughout the WWII era and into the immediate post-war years.
