Paragon prop

[Scott43]

Greetings..I inherited this from my grandfather. It's a Paragon from Baltimore. Any idea what it's from and if it's worth anything?
Thanks!
IMG_20201024_112006749_resize_94.jpg

[Dbahnson]

Is it an entire prop or just one blade?

What numbers are stamped on (or near) the hub?

[Scott43]

Is it an entire prop or just one blade?

What numbers are stamped on (or near) the hub?

Just half..someone cut the one blade off at some time. There are two numbers and some other things I can't make out well. First number is 1359 and the second one is 5316. 8 bolt and probably 8' diameter.
Thanks!

[Scott43]

Just half..someone cut the one blade off at some time. There are two numbers and some other things I can't make out well. First number is 1359 and the second one is 5316. 8 bolt and probably 8' diameter.
Thanks!

I should say I'm from Canada and my grandfather apparently was connected to the RCAF training facility in Deseronto during WW2. It's possible it's one of the props sent to Canada during WW1 and he picked it up from the base while there.

Correction, my great grandfather was an instructor in Deseronto in WW1 and he picked it up while there.

[Dbahnson]

It's most likely half of one of these, but you can't be sure, as many props look the same but are for widely different aircraft.

[Scott43]

Is it of any value to anyone? Air museum or collector? Or should I just hang it up in the garage.

[Dbahnson]

It's not of "much" value. I'd hang it in the garage or just put it on eBay and take your chances on its value. It's really hard to know what someone would pay for it without actually selling it to them. It's a nice piece of wood with an original decal - so that's good.

[Scott43]

It does have some family history so I'll likely hang onto it and hang it up. Does refinishing it completely destroy it's value? It *IS* a nice hunk of wood..would be nice cleaned up and finished.

[Dbahnson]

Gently cleaning and applying something like beeswax are OK, but anything more aggressive than that will drop its value down to (basically) "a piece of wood".

You've got the family possession history and the rest of the history, including loss of one blade, is embedded in the item. There's no benefit to adding new "history" of refinishing in any way.

For me there is "sculpture" in the item and perhaps "art" in the decal, and those are both worth retaining as is. You can't improve on either one of them.