Tom, the seller said it weighed 8oz, but unfortunately I don’t have an appropriate scale to measure and confirm, but just in hand you can tell the difference.
Right, but what about your other two? Or are these not in your possession?
The one that shows a seam in the closeup is likely the plastic one that weighs only a few ounces.
I found exactly the Walnut one in my car… and restored it. My guess is that it was a dealer extra back in the day when it was new. Give it a bit more plush.
Carsten
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Oh, come on, Carsten! I know you really want that Kamei golf ball… 
Uh maybe not- I am not that into Volkswagen. My other love is Citroen of course. And we recently bought a 1988 Unimog to build a 4x4 camper to go offroads in retirement in a few years….
Car-sten
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That sounds much like my wife and I! In 2026, we will be hitting the road as full timers!
Bob, I took you advice, didn’t give up looking, and think I finally found an original (at a steal, to boot). Seller didn’t know what it was, but it’s the right weight & diameter (with a cheap kitchen scale and a ruler, I measure 8 oz & 1.67") and to my eye the font checks out. (BTW it came without paint anywhere, but I refurbished it using typewriter liquid whiteout and wax polish – a trick I picked up somewhere here on the forum – thx guys!). Any reason to doubt that this is the real McCoy?
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That’s great news! I have no doubt yours is original. Notice how the size and font style is the same. Also if it’s the correct diameter and the correct weight, it is correct. The reproductions are smaller and the font substantially larger. Also notice in the side view photo of all three, on the original (center one) the bottom seems to taper out, vs the reproductions come out straight. Does yours have that taper?
Nice job bringing it back to life. I may consider using the white-out on mine, but my inclination is to leave it alone.
Perseverance pays off!
Based on the photos in this thread there appears to be two variations of the original shift knob. One has the R 3 and 4 centered over the shift pattern leg they represent and the second has the R 3 4 positioned inside their respective shift pattern leg. Both styles have the 1 and 2 centered. You can see both variations in the photos of three original shift knobs posted earlier by Mr.Roboto. It would be interesting to know why such a minor design change was made.
Tom
Well, I bet a sawbuck on it being nothing nefarious nor anything beyond someone saved a few cents, and/or another manufacturer was used.