I’m not looking to buy this one, it’s already sold. But, I found the blackened background with rubbed bronze raised points more unusual to what I usually see with these. In the about 4 years I’ve been collecting in earnest, all the many Kuban shields I’ve seen have had a more overall bronze look, but often had the blackening in the edges of the details. I always thought that was patina, but looking at this one I’m having a bit of an ah ha moment as to why those edges may exhibit the blackening.

So, I was wondering if this one exhibits a more original finish to what all of them looked like when new, or if the blackening is simply some sort of patina as I’ve suspected up until tonight?

Thanks for the thoughts as I seek to know a little more about these little shields.

Click to enlarge the picture