Gold Medal - but is it a winner?

Hear the words "Gold Medal" used in sewing machine context, and collectors will automatically call to mind quality 19thC produced machines. But perhaps they now have to think again.
It was reliably reported to me that last summer, machines looking suspiciously like black coloured versions of the commonly found British produced 20thC "Essex" were circulating at the world's largest antique fair at Newark, UK. These mysterious Singer 20 lookalikes sported a gilt decal giving the name "Gold Medal".
I recently noted that for the first time, one changed hands via an Internet sales page.
Just this week, a lot containing not one, but two, of these machines was offered at a leading UK provincial auction house. They were catalogued incorrectly as being of German origin, but with suspicions obviously aroused, the auctioneer simply described them as "reproduction" at the sale itself.
Whilst not in any way claiming great knowledge of miniatures or toys from the 1950s/60s, it seems to me that these models have suddenly appeared from nowhere. Have I really been missing something for all these years, or is this simply a recently introduced scam?
I will update this page if anyone can tell me more.....

In case you were wondering, the two at the auction made just £10 for the pair.

GD
Jan 2001