Robin Lumsden

This may explain a bit better how photos can be deceptive. One of these crosses looks newer and more glittery than the other .................. the enamelling details and font widths look different in places. One left sword handle seems to bend upwards ............... the other downwards. But examination of the fine details of the stippling under the translucent red enamel shows that both of these crosses came from the same set of dies ................. so, presumably, the same maker. Photos speak a thousand words .................. but they can also be misleading !!

Pix for comparison. The single one is also an accepted original. This type has never been found with its case, so far as I know. If both of the 'accepted' versions are, indeed, OK, then there must have been at least two makers involved. Despite the 'glittery' look, the quality is actually extremely good. Very finely gilded bronze. Photographs can be a bit deceptive.

OK - not strictly German !! Just picked up this nice example of a Mussert Cross. These were awarded by the NSB leader to men serving in the Dutch formations of the Waffen-SS. Hitler prohibited the wearing of the award on German uniforms, but it could be worn on the uniforms of the Dutch Nazi paramilitaries such as the NSB and the WA. Over 1000 of these were dug up in the garden of Mussert's HQ in The Hague in May, 1945. The black-and-white photos show the crosses being dug up, and one of the crosses found that day. The cased awards were contained within many separate boxes, some of which had been penetrated by water, etc., resulting in some of the crosses found being in better condition than others!

Another recent pick-up .................. the 1914-era Fife HQ of The National Reserve was at my old home address in St. Andrews !!!

We can't seem to post links, these days ....................... But this is well worth a look on Youtube ......................

Ta !!

Related ....................

Latest additions to the collection .............................. Macbeth's worst nightmare !!! Does anyone know what the two variations signify, i.e. with and without the garter buckle ?? These badges were worn by both the army (Fife & Forfar/Black Watch) and Inspectors of the old Constabulary in Fife, but I'm at a loss re. the 'buckle' differences. Clan MacDuff and Fife Council also come into the equation.

Eric. I think you're right. The shaded area to the left of the face is very odd. Photo lifted from eBay.

Eric. No.

Yet another oddity. Doesn't fit with known examples of Flammenwerfer, Kampfwagen, Freikorps or Reichsheer/Reichswehr. Who knows ??

Subdued the Sassenachs !!!

COAs are not worth the paper they are written on. Not just Niemann's ............................ but COAs from ANY dealer. COAs are just marketing tools. Pure and simple. Look at all the $250 deals made over the years by the TK Rings COAs !! Bottom line .............. the Romans had it right ................... Caveat Emptor. You pays your money and you takes your choice. If you take the time to learn your subject, your judgement will be every bit as good as the next guy's ................. whether he is a long-time 'expert' or not !!

Paul. Thanks for the link. Someone had more money than sense, I think. That's the 'accepted' type, but they still turn up at a fraction of that price.

Hello Jock. I agree, 100%. These Cossack crosses are all a matter of faith ........................ some are believed in, some aren't. The aluminium 'fakes' always seem to be of better quality than the aluminium 'originals'. Oh, well ...............................

Guess not!

It's an ugly bugger, but 100% original. Here it is being worn on field grey caps .................................. by (I think) French SS in 1944-45.

Thanks, Paul.

5th Don Cossack Crosses in stamped aluminium have been around for decades. They appear in the old 1960s-70s books by Klietmann, Littlejohn, Angolia, etc. They also appear in umpteen auction catalogues, often involving the top end auctioneers. Perceived wisdom is that originals had steel pins, die flaws around the '5' and non-curly '9's, while TLO 1960s fakes had brass pins, no die flaws and curly '9's. My question is ............................ are ANY of these proven originals? Or are ALL of them post-war fantasy pieces ?? Or could they all be originals ?? No period photos of these crosses being worn have ever come to light. It seems very strange to me that all of them, allegedly original or otherwise, have been stamped from pebbled aluminium sheeting. This is unique in the area of Third Reich awards, whether official or not. As for the quality, the painted finish on all of these things is very much on a par with the painted finish on original Turkish War Medals. The photo below shows a montage of the various aluminium types. I have excluded all the enamel versions, which are actually of much inferior quality to the aluminium ones. I've also attached a photo of a Don Cossack wearing a large white regimental cross .................. obviously not the same type. Anyone have independent thoughts on these ??

Thanks to you both. I know very little about these, but this one came from Germany and was (allegedly) picked up by a German soldier in North Africa. It was accompanied by a period Allied map of Cyrenaica/Tobruk. Am I right in thinking that named Purple Hearts were for those KIA ?? And that this (unnamed, but numbered) one could have been kept in stock for distribution to those wounded in action in North Africa in WW2 ?? Thanks again.

Yes ............ looks like a BW Inf. or Hussar stickpin. Pity about the bone.

Just picked up this item. Know nothing about them. From the serial number, is it possible to say what year it was awarded ?? Thanks in advance to the more knowledgeable amongst you!

Thanks, Andy. I'm still awaiting a response from the musicologist ........................

I've emailed the musicologist. To be continued ...........................

Agreed.