# Help Identifying a symbol on a lapel pin **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-symbol-on-a-lapel-pin/560702 "2010-11-15T03:44:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acherontius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@Acherontius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acherontius)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-symbol-on-a-lapel-pin/560702/1 "2010-11-15T03:44:06Z")
Hi everyone, I recently found a lapel pin that had belonged to my grandfather. He most likely received it sometime in the 1960s, possibly 1970s. The only info about him that I think might be relevant is that he was an engineer and he worked for Lockheed. Any help is greatly appreciated! [Front of the pin.](http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a397/picqua/PB140173.jpg) [Back of the pin, in case that helps.](http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a397/picqua/PB140176.jpg) -Mike ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-symbol-on-a-lapel-pin/560702/2 "2010-11-15T20:51:38Z")
I took a quick look through the USPTO Trademark Electronic Search System and couldn’t find it. You might be able to dig some more in there. Of course this is assuming the design was trademarked and described properly. [http://tess2.uspto.gov/](http://tess2.uspto.gov/) For example, the search term “261709[DC] and 260101[DC]” brings up all Trademarked items that have a single circle border and uses curved lines. This search term brings up 400+ entries. I tried narrowing the search by specifying the color blue which brought up 23 entries (none of which were what you’re looking for), as well as other codes for hourglass, touching triangles, and polygons (with and without bended lines). None of those were what you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-symbol-on-a-lapel-pin/560702/3 "2010-11-15T21:34:06Z")
I’m vaguely thinking XM Radio. Maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-symbol-on-a-lapel-pin/560702/4 "2010-11-15T21:39:06Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I’m vaguely thinking XM Radio. Maybe not. This pin predates XM Radio by decades and is very different from the XM logo. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-symbol-on-a-lapel-pin/560702/5 "2010-11-15T22:12:36Z")
I am going to make a semi random guess that it is based on a particular military unit flash that the project was working with on a project. Might have better luck checking out AF unit challenge coins and specific unit patches. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-symbol-on-a-lapel-pin/560702/6 "2010-11-15T22:44:47Z")
It vaguely reminds me of the BMW logo which is, in fact, a stylized airplane propeller. This fits with being an engineer with Lockheed and suggests it might have something to to with planes or if a military pin some type of air unit. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-symbol-on-a-lapel-pin/560702/7 "2010-11-15T23:28:04Z")
Illuminati? I joke it looks like a prop from a plane. ---
**Author:** ![Acherontius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@Acherontius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acherontius)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-symbol-on-a-lapel-pin/560702/8 "2010-11-17T04:08:58Z")
Brilliant stuff guys, thanks. I’m going to have a look through the TM directory (didn’t think to check there). As for being a prop on a plane, that didn’t occur to me. I should have clarified that he worked on the Polaris and Poseidon missile systems. I don’t know exactly what it is he did, though. He was only allowed to say what projects, and only later in his life. ---
**Author:** ![Acherontius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@Acherontius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acherontius)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-symbol-on-a-lapel-pin/560702/9 "2010-11-17T04:14:56Z")
Just called my mom, he was an R&D engineer on those projects, that’s all he ever said. Not sure if that helps, just trying to get all the info out there. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-symbol-on-a-lapel-pin/560702/10 "2010-11-17T10:35:25Z")
> [@sisu](#): > > Illuminati? > > I joke it looks like a prop from a plane. I thought more like radar/sonar scan lines than a plane prop. That is why I suggested a military unit patch way back in my original post. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-symbol-on-a-lapel-pin/560702/11 "2010-11-17T12:22:53Z")
The back says CF6, which was the designation for an engine which GE designed and which went into Lockheed’s planes. The timeframe also fits. My guess is that the emblem on the front is a stylized front view of a jet engine but perhaps it’s just conincidence. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-symbol-on-a-lapel-pin/560702/12 "2010-11-17T14:57:33Z")
The pin reminds me quite a bit of these Frank Lloyd Wright cufflinks I have: [http://www.maclinstudio.com/frllwrrogicu.html](http://www.maclinstudio.com/frllwrrogicu.html) ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-symbol-on-a-lapel-pin/560702/13 "2010-11-17T17:52:44Z")
So I just did a GIS for \*\*cf6 lockheed pin \*\*and got \*really really \*excited when the first hit (!) was an image of a pin \*exactly \*like we were talking about… Only to realize that the source was [boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com) and it was, in fact, exactly \*what \*we were talking about. :smack: ETA: Does the back say CF **6** or CF **G**? Looks more like the latter to me… ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-symbol-on-a-lapel-pin/560702/14 "2010-11-17T18:03:13Z")
Very long shot: could it have anything to do with [Condor Flugdienst](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condor_Flugdienst)? Their ICAO designator is CFG and their colors are blue and gold. Their logo, however, doesn’t look like this pin at all.