A frame has turned up with Nervex lugs, accurate/inaccurate curly stays, and a valid frame number. It changed hands at ebay in 2024. Forensic analysis below.
1. Although the frame number is a valid Hetchins number from 1958, the frame in the photos does not match the ledger entry.
2. The dropout is anachronistic for a 1958 frame. A 1958 Campag dropout would have had longer slots and a positioning hole for the spring in the mechs available at that time.
3. The font on the dropout does not match the font used in Hetchin's workshop. The digits on the Nervex frame have no serifs, whereas Hetchin's stamps had serifs. Note that the top of the "3" on the Nervex dropout is rounded, whereas the genuine Hetchins "3" has a flat top. The "1", "2", and "7" are also markedly different.
4. The top eyes on a late 1950s Hetchins looked different to the italianate seat cluster treatment on the Nervex frame. Denny started making the italianate style seat cluster in the 1970s.
5. The fork crown on the Nervex frame is wrong for a Hetchins.
6. The brake bridge on the Nervex frame is wrong for a Hetchins. Denny used two formats at that time, neither of which matches the Nervex frame. The little bridge between the ch.stays and behind the bb shell is also anachronistic for a late 1950s frame.
Below are photos with the anomalous bits marked in magenta, as well as photos of genuine Hetchins with nearby frame numbers for comparison.
Ask an expert, before you commit at ebay!
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