EK 1939 EK1 - Right one or not?

[FrontlineAntiques]

Hi Chaps

i have just been offered this EK1, unmarked.

I am quite new to german medals, so could do with some help to identify it as genuine or not.

It looks quite good to me but i cannot be sure.

What do you think?

The price asked is ?160.

Thanks, Dan

[FrontlineAntiques]

reverse

[FrontlineAntiques]

hasp open

[FrontlineAntiques]

side view

[FrontlineAntiques]

close up front

[Richard Gordon]

Personally, I believe it is a fake.

Rich

[FrontlineAntiques]

Personally, I believe it is a fake.

Rich

Hi Rich

What points to this?

Dan

[Richard Gordon]

Dan

The front looks quite convincing but it's on the reverse where the problems start. The crude catch, shape of pin and loose fitting hinge plus the contrived aging with fake tarnish.

There were not that many makers of the EK1 and I personally believe all have been categorized and this isn't one of them. If you follow ebay on a regular basis you get to see the new fakes as they tend to start cropping up there. You tend to not see this one because of the swastika but you see the similarities to 1914 EK1 fakes which are regularly found there.

I've based my decision on these factors and that's why I believe it's a fake.

Rich

[FrontlineAntiques]

Dan

The front looks quite convincing but it's on the reverse where the problems start. The crude catch, shape of pin and loose fitting hinge plus the contrived aging with fake tarnish.

There were not that many makers of the EK1 and I personally believe all have been categorized and this isn't one of them. If you follow ebay on a regular basis you get to see the new fakes as they tend to start cropping up there. You tend to not see this one because of the swastika but you see the similarities to 1914 EK1 fakes which are regularly found there.

I've based my decision on these factors and that's why I believe it's a fake.

Rich

Thanks for the info Rich!

i feel quite disapointed to tell you the truth. I have been looking for a nice EK1 to start off my collection for some time, and i thought that this would be the one.

Never mind, im sure a nice one will pop up soon.

Any pointers as to what i should look for? Is it more advisable to go for a meker marked cross as i will be able to make more comparisons with known genuine items?

Dan

[Richard Gordon]

Dan

The option to go maker marked or not is a personal choice and I don't think there is any advantage when authenticating. My advice would be to have patience, study the EK1 first to get familiar with the characteristics of each maker and also find out which dealers are more reliable to buy originals from.

There are plenty of 1939 EK1 shown in this forum so it's not difficult to search here. You can also find a selection on my website where almost all the makers are shown. (see link in my signature)

I personally don't mind if they are marked or not as the important thing is that they are the condition that I want for my collection. Some dealers will charge you more for a marked piece.

You can check out the albums created by members here. Here's mine:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?autocom=galler...um&album=10

Rich

[FrontlineAntiques]

Great collection Rich!

Wowee.....there is some jealousy going on over here!

which was your first one?

Thanks for all your help!

[gregM]

This is one of the Latvian fakes that have been showing up now for 5 or 6 years.

[Richard Gordon]

Great collection Rich!

Wowee.....there is some jealousy going on over here!

which was your first one?

Thanks for all your help!

Dan,

My collection is by no means large and has taken 20 odd years to get where it is today. I think the first one (that I still have in the collection) is one of the Deumers:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?autocom=galler...=si&img=823

This is one of the Latvian fakes that have been showing up now for 5 or 6 years.

Greg

Thanks for joining in and confirming on the cross.

Rich

[gregM]

Happy to help where I can. I don't venture to far into the TR side but I couldn't help but see

the similarities in the frames.

[FrontlineAntiques]

This is one of the Latvian fakes that have been showing up now for 5 or 6 years.

Hi Greg

Thanks for the info. When i told the seller i was no longer interested the price dropped from ?160 to ?120 to ?100!

If this cross had been genuine, what would have been an average selling price?

Dan

[FrontlineAntiques]

I think the first one (that I still have in the collection) is one of the Deumers:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?autocom=galler...=si&img=823

Very nice Rich :cheers: