Biro

Ed Here's the reverse of the 1870 EK1 owned and worn by Kaiser W1 (not a Lauer) The pin - although slightly less shaped - can certainly be construed as 'wide', so for me, no problem with the pin itself. You'll notice from this example why I feel the pin on your EK may have been put on 'underside-up'.... at the moment though, the shadow in your photo is obscuring the top of the pin, so it's a hunch. Marshall [attachmentid=28387]

Ed The only 'Ludwig Lauer' EK1 I have on file is this one below - I don't have the reverse but it was stamped 'LL' just as the example you posted. The pin set-up on this one is horizontal not vertical like your friends, but it was a replacement pin rather than a converted EK2. It is a match for the obverse of your friends piece. [attachmentid=28078] I would be happy to own your friends piece and would go as far as to say it was a fairly rare version of the already rare 1870 EK1..... while not perhaps quite as desirable as a Godet or certainly an issue 'I Wagner' marked piece, harder to find than a Godet. IMO, a great find.... although from the pictures you posted, I would say it is possible the pin is attatched to the hinge upside down. Marshall

PK Then you've done well......it's absolutely identical (but slightly shinier) twin was sold by Collectors Guild a few months ago for about $700.00. The ribbon even has the same strange looking 'burn' holes in it - possibly from some form of pronged attatchment. Is this comforting or concerning?

My German is nil - so I'm going off a quick synopsis/translation that Tim Tezer did of this article a while ago - It certainly compounds the misery of all those who own WHS with 'beads' around the edges.. e.g. - Max Aurich, Geissler, and every WHS owner participating in this forum. And just when were looking for 'quality' in an original, the 'original' pictured in the Sauerwald article may have squarer edges than the repro, but it dosen't exhibit HALF the build quality. The 'moon crown 800' mark is a whole 'nother ballgame. Clear as mud, huh? I give up.

... and good luck with THAT quest Dave! Nice set. Marshall

Mine... An 'A' and two 'B's.. [attachmentid=26624]

Anyone comparing a Wagner and a Friedlander PLM may well ask that same question Stijn!! Marshall

No way - they don't look remotely alike.... ...one has white shoes

A very 'period' looking way to display these Marc - especially with the braid and those extra salty ribbons!!! I think it looks just fantastic. Also looking forward to seeing the 1st class version of this line-up. The question is... do you leave 'that' space empty - or resign yourself to never filling it?? Marshall

That is a stunning, jawdropping collection Dave. Just amazing. Do you have Koldunov's double Gold Stars as well?? Marshall

The pics aren't showing in that ebay auction - maybe it's me.... If anyone else can see them, maybe they can post them here direct. M

Wow - Very nice Eric!! Richard... I used to own a zinc example, so I can vouch for that! There are a few attatchment methods for these... mine is the type for fitting on the grosse ordensspange, and is silvered tombak. [attachmentid=24117] Sorry to digress Eric - but I was also interested to note that while my example does have the fairly typical 'flawed 1' ... the sides of my swaz are trapezoid - (e.g. they taper in from bottom to top) - while the sides of Eric and Richards swaz's appear (from the pics at least) to have vertical sides... Can either of you confirm whether your swaz is vertical sided or tapered? [attachmentid=24118] Marshall

Use the link above and scroll down the page Ed - the pics are still there.. M

A T/R era 1914 EK1 - probably by Deumer? - and a perfectly good schinkel EK1 IMO!! Marshall

Would anyone who has a hard copy of the auction catalogue for this December auction be kind enough to scan and email me a page from it? Please drop me a PM for details if you can help. Thanks kindly! Marshall

..cue the sound of 'unorthodox' tunic owners rejoicing... Great pic! These dudes certainly look like they deserve everything they were awarded. M

I saw this one too Greg..... and couldn't work out whether the EK was a doctored picture or a doctored cross. I'm stunned this 'friend of the community' is actually pleased enough with his.. 'workmanship' ... that he considered it ready for public consumption. His choice of raw material was fairly educated - sadly, it looks like a perfectly good 1914 Godet type was destroyed for the sake of , what... $11.00 so far?... For the sake of antiquity, we can only hope this skilled craftsman dosen't decide to go back to the drawing board. M [attachmentid=22890]

Greetings countryman... A great little lot you have there!! Well done.

Spot on Chris! I suspect that the appearance of the Ubergrosse in an issue of "Des F?hrers Kampf im Osten" pronouncing it 'the new RK' is more down to that individual publications lack of an alternative to show..... ... and that 'RK prototype' is probably more accurately expressed as 'RK Sized..' One thing for sure as well - Germany prior to WW2 never had a problem cranking out prestige awards of SUPERB manufacturing quality.... and this one simply never was up to the job. ...but then we don't know. M

Joes summary is a good one... was there anything specific you needed to know? Here is a typical ubergrosse... there are wide framed EK's (24's I think) which are NOT to be confused with ubergrosse pieces. [attachmentid=22603] As Joe has pointed out, speculation is that they were prototypes for the RK... I'm going from memory here, but I think Gordon Williamson (whose book you should have by the way) pointed out at some stage that an early German publication showing the nation what was to be the country's newly created highest decoration (the Knights Cross) actually pictured an Ubergrosse. Trouble is, in terms of quality - and compared to Knights Crosses as we now know them - they were POOR! They exhibit a remarkable lack of detail to the dates and swaz, and frequently the beading junctures are filed away to accomodate a swaz that simply dosen't fit well .... as per Juncker RK's... Nonetheless, a very collectable and scarce piece due primarily to its status as RK fore-runner.... Marshall [attachmentid=22604]

Hello gents I thought maybe some of you would be interested to see my latest aquisition .... a Prussian Garde K?rassier M1889/97 metalhelm complete with Parade Eagle - it's prolifically marked all over the helmet to the GKR, the unit, and various other inventory numbers crop up.. but I can't quite get to the bottom of the maker mark. It appeared to me to be DAMASCHKE - but it's also possible it is JAMASCHKE - I favour the former, but this is most definitely not my field!! Anyone able to help here?? thanks - if anyone wants more pics, let me know... Marshall Helmet... [attachmentid=22419] Maker Mark... [attachmentid=22420]

George This is a wonderful item! Who exactly is the maker? Marshall

There is nothing more to be said. Andreas's line sums it up perfectly. The same applies to the 1914 Weiderholungsspange. HOW MANY????? Even I , a collector of not much more than three years, get emails about these ebay pieces. There were THREE genuine makers of the PLM during WW1 and TWO of them had IDENTICAL PLM's. How difficult can this subject be to research?????????? THERE ARE ONLY TWO!!!!!!!! [attachmentid=22407] Even the oddities, such as 'JHW' marked examples STILL have characteristics (notably the eagles) that conform exactly to one of these three makers. I can forgive someone not being sure about a 1914 EK2 - hell, I'm not - but the PLM? C'mon... This isn't a tough research job... even I got through it. Marshall

beertje... The 'drawing in' of RK's onto an original of an RK winners photograph was an officially sanctioned practice undertaken by the propaganda ministry - here is another example of a quite genuine, wartime photo 'enahncement' on a quite genuine recipients photo... http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3535 These RK winners were not always readily available for 'press calls' immediately after the award of their RK's - given that they had a war to fight - so the only option left to the propaganda ministry who were desperate to spread the word to the public as quickly as possible that another soldier had won his countrys highest honour was to 'doctor' an existing press photo of that soldier (as per Ricks example..) This has - as you will appreciate if you research this subject elsewhere - thrown up some 'interesting' variations of the Knights cross (and in your case, the swords..) - some of which are the result of superimposing a real RK onto an existing photo and 're-shooting' the photo - others nothing more than the product of an artists imagination... This is nothing out of the ordinary... Marshall

I'm particularly lovin' that W-S too Dave! Congratulations Marshall