[stephen f. polyak]

When it comes to “surviving” tail panels, extra care must be taken with authentication; there have been many fakes on the market over the years. This is particularly true of cloth (vs metal) items. As noted, the back side of a panel often yields telling information. Judging from the pictures here, if this is a fake, it is one of the best I’ve ever seen in many years of collecting. My “gut” tells me it’s a good piece; but only a firsthand inspection would add confidence to that hunch. Some things to look for would be honest soiling and wear on both sides and aging of the paint to include cracking. The size suggests a light plane, perhaps a trainer. The use of cloth for covering fixed and moving tail surfaces was common on such types; e.g., Ar 66, Go 145, Bu 131 and Bu 133. And sometimes the full swastika was on the fin. As to value, all collectables are worth what someone will pay for them. That said, tail panels often get hundreds of dollars and sometimes more (right or wrong) in the militaria marketplace. Good luck!