Mike K

Hi westfale, Yes, the hardware on this example conforms to the most often encountered (by me anyway) wartime awarded pieces. Regards Mike

...... and not long after that .......

Oh WOW. You guys have made my day!! One of these is high on my shopping list so seeing 3 in the same thread is heaven. Claudio, I've been drooling over that example for ages, but for 5000 Euro he can sit on the pointy bits! Heiko and David, I'm drooling!! Regards Mike

Hi Darrell, Possible, but there appear to be top (horizontal) strokes present, which made it look more like a G to me. Regards Mike

Hi David, Bad timing! I'm away from home until Mid Feb, so won't be able to post all the requested pics or properly answer the other questions until then. Regarding the pinback, from memory, the quality of construction and finish was very good. A nicely worn fire-gilt finish over a tombak-like basemetal. No signs of casting what-so-ever imo. Some indications of fine filing on the sides of the cross arms - I don't recall the joins of the arms. The hardware is interesting and probably more in line with late teens/early 20s (Freikorps period) - small block hinge, needle pin and small flatwire "C" catch. I've seen similar on Prussian EK1s, Schlesien Adler, Baltic Crosses and some immediate post-war veterans association pin-back awards. The screwback is a Meybauer - the X-plate and DRGM screwdisk weren't included in the scan. Regards Mike

I've been watching that one out of curiosity. Very interesting! I think it's another recent EK2 conversion with fantasy hardware though. The obverse looks OK but notice how it is a flat-back. It would be useful to see some side shots. One other thing to note is the case - notice that the lower insert does not fit properly at the corners - very untidy. Always a bad sign imo. If the fitted insert looks bogus, then it does not help the cause for the "interesting" hardware! Regards Mike

Some genuine 1939 L/52 EK1 screwbacks were marked with an upside-down maker mark above the anti-spin pin. I do not see why some Imperial versions from the same period were also not marked in the same strange way. Regards Mike

Hi, After having a good look at that pic with the removed anti-spin pin and the MM, I think it can be argued that the MM was applied after the anti-spin pin had been affized, but that the MM was applied right at the base of the anti-spin pin. The mark is well formed in the MIDDLE but weak on the right and almost absent on the left. I think the removeal of the anti-spin pin was probably neatly done well AFTER the MM had been applied and that some of the grinding has probably also removed some of the MM on the right hand side - eg the top of the 2 looks indisctint and not as deep as the middle or base of the 2. I think we are seeing an imaging effect. Hand examination will probably show everything is 100% OK. Regards Mike

Hmmm, looking again, was there a unit along the lines of 1. GFAR Guther ? Regards Mike

Hi Jerome, Imo a crude fantasy casting. Regards Mike

reverse...

Hi, I've already popped this question onto WAF but Marcus suggested maybe some more Imperial oriented case specialists have some experience with these cases?! Pictured below are 2 "matchbook" cases, for want of a better description. The green one (~50 mm square) has been kicking around for ages. A Prussian EK2 came in it. I thought the case had just been used for packing by the seller, until the grey one (~55 mm square) rolled up recently containing an Oldenburg FA2X on bow ribbon. Are these slip cases actually some type of generic Imperial or 20s award packets? Regards Mike

Hi Charles, Yes they are. Regards Mike

Here's a scan; Regards Mike

Hi, Would anyone have any info on a "Guther" (NOT Gunther) who may have worn the Schaumburg-Lippe Kreuz fur Treue Dienste STECKKREUZ? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks & Regards Mike

Hi Don, Possibly a TR set-up, but proper obverse/reverse pics would be required. Regards Mike

Hi Micha, Nice to see some significantly better pics of it! Well done again on the win. Regards Mike

Except the PM above the 800 on the DRGM disk! Nice cross in nice condition though I don't think there are many out there with everything though. My best example of these has the silver stamps and the PM on the DRGM disk but not the crest on the back of the cross! Regards Mike

Hi Micha, Learn something new every day! To be honest, I have never stuck a KMST on a scale. I will do when I get back home towards the end of December. Regards Mike

Hi Micha, No, I don't have all the variations - I wish! Eg I do not have this type without the catch-lock. Still looking for the "twist-back" like GW used to own. Not sure what you mean by "heavy pinback" - the one with the "clip" assembly? Yes, I do have a stamped one ("standard" pinback hardware). Have some unmarked ones as well. Regards Mike

Hi Micha, Yes, I saw you win this one. I was asked to evaluate it and came to the same conclusion that it had never had the catch-lock applied. An interesting variant and finally, some decent pics of it! Regards Mike

Reverses..

Hi Vince, Well, if your example is magnetic then I will have to change my statement! I think your example at the top of the tread is fine, regardless of material. I have only encountered them as non-mag alloys, but obviously they were produced in iron as well. Another variant to look for! I'm attaching scans of my examples. The two on the top are iron (magentic). The others are non-magnetic alloys. Regards Mike

No on both counts. Not all one piece EK1s are non-magnetic. If it is magentic is is not necessarily a fake. The type at the top of the thread has only been encountered in non-magentic alloys. There are genuine iron (magentic) one-piece EK1s - they have a different core and hardware though. Regards Mike

This guy has come up before with endless supplies of hard to find badges like Gold Naval Wound Badges. I was suspicious of him before but he's finally added some definite fakes to his latest offerings - the Anhalt 1st Class cross and the Wurttemburger pin-back both have known fake hardware assemblies on them. If you've bought from him in the past, I would be highly suspicious of whatever it is. Regards Mike