[Chock]

Not yet conclusive that it isn't genuine, and even if it isn't, if you liked it when you bought it, then enjoy it for that.

A number of auction houses have specialist auctions from time to time, and these can turn up stuff, but you will sometimes be bidding against some serious collectors with a wallet to match, so if a Le Rhone turns up, you'd be unlikely to beat the big guns, but sometimes you can get some good stuff so it's worth checking out that route if that's your thing. Normally you can bid over the phone or have a broker representative bid for you based on a limit for a small fee if you can't be there yourself. You can usually contact auction houses and ask for email notification of upcoming specialist auctions that cover your area of interest.

There are one or two online dealers who sell such stuff too, if you google 'aviation memorabilia', you'll turn up a few, and you can normally gauge the validity of such places by the stuff they have.

Some dealers go to airshows and set up stalls. You are unlikely to find any real rarities that way, but then again, it does mean a lot of that stuff is quite affordable. Expect to find a lot of cockpit dials and that kind of stuff. Having said that, I have bought quite a few genuine Spitfire bits and pieces from such sources including one or two rare and unique items, so it's not all common stuff.

Worth bearing in mind that even through reputable auction houses and dealers it is not unknown to get fakes and misidentified stuff. Their professionalism is not an absolute guarantee that you won't get something that has been faked, as there is money to be made in producing such stuff, so that's all the motivation unscrupulous people need. Be very careful with autographs.

Al