Gordon Williamson

Very nice Rob. Great to have a piece with supporting provenance like that !

Hello,

Anyone know the name of this RKT or recognise his signature?Any info would be appreciated.

Cheers

Dave

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Unteroffizier (Feldwebel in the photo) Albert Dubicki of Werfer Regiment 14. RK on 12.8.44

Here is another, both in Augarten. Hamburg has some surviving too.

Has anyone seen the Flakturm in downtown Vienna? These facilities were so big and so strong they had to leave them in place. Good reminders of history.

byf

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Here is one of the Vienna Flak towers. Photo from David Monniaux

I think that the marking under the eye on the obverse is the "41" ...

They make them in gold too?? wow ... wonder what maker they dreamt up for those ones? 

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There is a "41" in the centre of the suspension loop too, though it is a bit blurred on the photo.

Completely bogus. These "41" marked Oaks (and Oaks/Swords) have been circulating for a while now. The maker even does them in GOLD

You can find them on German E-Bay with monotonous regularity. Actually they are quite nicely made but the "41" mark and the excessively long loop are dead give-aways.

Looks as if the obverse frame of the RK is marked just under the eye also ??

So I did OK at 18 Euro then ?

Reverse, the characters on the shield read "Great East Asia War". The bar is on a slid which can move over the ribbon, unlike other medals which are fixed.

Obverse shows the Imperial Chrysanthemum crest over an eight pointed radiant star and crossed swords. The Kanji on the bar read "War Medal"

The one Japanese award that is heavy reproduced. Instituted June 1944, only a few were awarded before the end of the war and the allied occupation forces ordered remaining stocks destroyed so originals are virtually unobtainable.

This is an accurate copy. Some copies omit the reverse pattern, being plain and without any design.

Reverse. The Kanji in the centre read "War Medal" and the inscription arounmd reads "Meiji 27-8 years". Reputedly cast from the bronze of captured Chinese cannon barrels

Obverse shows crossed Army and Naval flags

For the war against China in 1894 in which Japan gained sovereignty over Korea and Formosa.

Here she is, a bit knocked about but definitely an L/16

Picked this up from EBay for peanuts. Obviously not a rare award, but is the doc OK ?

Nothing wrong with that one Andy, textbook for that maker.

illegal to own a sword?? Geez .. that sux ...?

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Yes there is legislation being prepared at the moment to make Swords illegal with "Samurai" swords being particularly targetted. Brought about by idiots who buy these cheap imitation Japanese swords sharpen them up and run amok with them. Not sure of the full details but they may introduce a licensing system as they have for firearms.

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=712112005

George, as well as an "L/16" 2nd Class without Swords, I've now found a "4" Second Class with Swords. Will send you pics when it arrives.

There are two very distinctive versions of the 1st Pattern 1st Class. One, believed by many includiing myself, to have been made by Juncker seems to have been only pinback, or at least I haven't seen a screwback ---yet. The other, like the one posted here, is "flatter" in profile and usually comes with a two piece screwback fitting ( washer and locknut).

This is the lesser desirable pattern, but to some , more desireable in being screwback so I'd say Allan has just about hit it on the button at ?350 with both parts of the fitting (dealer price). The last one of these I bought I paid $150 for.

You're interested in cased stuff Allan ?? I had no idea

Thanks Jacques, it has taken me a very l o n g time to find a silver Second Pattern as nice as this.

Though I don't normally like private purchase LDO stuff, I could resist giving this one a home when I saw it today.

Just acquired today. Silver Second Pattern U-Boat Clasps are difficult enough to find in any condition, but often show signs of age bubbling to the silvering. First one I've seen in ages which is virtually faultless and a good companion for my Silver First Pattern shown below it here.

I agree. With the award itself still easily found at or around $30, or even less and the award documents easily found at not much more (unless you look for specialist units such as SS, Para, U-Boats etc), the KVK is a great "starter" award.

Prices are beginning to hike a bit for KVK1s and RKs are very hard to find but the humble KVK2 is still cheap. There is still a lot of misinformation around about these awards too, suggesting they were some sort of non-combatant thing. Many of course were awarded for actions on the home front or behind the lines, but many were awarded for front line actions too. In fact the wartime publication "Der Lohn der Tat" which gives examples of the kind of deeds required to win various awards gives specific examples of the KVK2 and KVK1 being awarded for front line actions under enemy fire.

The bargains are still out there. Not exactly a rare award, but a packeted Deumer maker marked KVK2, which came complete with its original award document ( and a naval one at that) for $60.