This is sterling silver museum quality reproduction 3 inch Senior Balloon Wing designed by WC Link and is a truly beautiful wing. But someone long ago added the letters “US” on the original in 14k gold. Since the Senior wings were not approved until 1941 and the letters US ended in 1919 I am lost as to how this came into being. Maybe it was anal metal version of he 1917 Military Aeronaut wing. Or it was an original WWI Balloon wing and someone added the star. Our US is gold plated on sterling. One more interesting fact is that in 1919 Mr. Herbert Adams of the Commission of Fine Arts designed for the Army three new wings. This design without the star but with the US was one of them and the only one with a US. These were the only wings so approved.