Motorhead

A private purchased cross with the "standard core"-nothing wrong here!

Micha

Well-flatbacks with maker marks are the "original,awarded" pieces.More or less......We know a lot of these variations from groupings that have popped up over the last centuries.

Then we have the domed pin and screwbacks-pieces like the Meybauer variations,Godet with fangs,the lovely Zimmermanns or the endless families of AWS and Carl Dillenius-just to name a few of these crosses.

Original in the sense of meaning "original,awarded crosses"? No,of course not-they are wearers copies,private purchased during or after the wartime. We know from pictures that these crosses have been worn at uniforms during the war..but they don't count as "original" in the sense of meaning.....

The next group are the crosses of poor quality and bad craftsmanship some of the AWS crosses or the Victoria DRGM.....just all the crosses that look old but really poor and ugly(it's not that simple but it's OK for the moment).The next following group are the pieces from the 20/30ies-mostly made in brass or complete in iron-they look different to all the other groups....the later ones of them will be seen often with hardware we can find also at crosses from the 3rd Reich time line.....and at the end of this list the LDO pieces-still wearers copies-legal but not the same as the copies that have been made during the WW1 wartime...All this is just my point of view as a collector!

Micha

Well-what if the awarded piece sticked at the uniform every day-and looked like that? If you go to a photograph to get some pics in your best uniform-wouldn't you try to get the best one for that picture?Just a guess...

Micha

I don't think so-but I have never seen something like this before! Really strange...

Micha

Well-I calles that ond 3rd type becaus it's the rarest of the 3 core types-that's all.I wonder if we will find all 3 types with every single reverse and attachment system we know....I own another 1st class with this core type-but it's a vaulted pinback with smooth reverse but with the AWS hallmark-unfortunately no pic at the moment. from what I have seen so far the AWS family is as big as the CD family is......my wanted list gets longer and longer...

Micha

Only another one to show(it's already in another thread-but here it is again...)

Micha

Well-I start with a private purchased one-this cross was made by Zimmermann.Here the version with the nicer design( usually both classes are marked with the word "Silber"!

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Are you talking about the condition of the crosses or about the variations? To find a 1st class in mint condition is a really hard jon...

Micha

That's the Godet/Meybauer core Chris! Doesn't matter what the stamp at the ribbon ring says.....

Micha

They exist-unofficially,for sure made just for profit and they where bought and used by veterans. They are different to the Kyfhäuser clasps....

Micha

Hm-good question-usually the eye ring brakes off-not the ribbon ring.But to tell the truth-I never thought about this "problem"....

Micha

Good score-I asked just because a white ribbon is realy hard to judge from a photo-especially if it's stone mint like this one.Nice set-I'm still waiting for the day a blue wrapping paper with stamp for a non combatant cross will show up...

Micha

I'm still waiting for Trevors article about the AWS variations-I'm far away from beeing complete with this maker so I can't do that by my own.....time will tell!

Micha

The stamp at the crossarm is very unusual and I'm sure a few of them you can see at Ebay from time to time are later added-this one looks ok to me-in my oppinion it was added by the guy who soldered the cross(the core is a "standart" one) as a personal marking.That would explain the different design of the stamp.But this is pure speculation by my self!

Micha

I like it,Chris-and this variation is not growing on every tree-I ürefer unrepaired pieces,but in this case I would have taken it,too...

Micha

That one wasn't a bargain but I had to get it-a damned hard to get version of the rare 3rd core type from AWS.Not in the best condition but anyway-the pictures are from Weitzes Site,but the cross is here at my side!

Micha

Was it a complete set?

Micha

That's a member of the big "Carl Dillenius" family-2.nd core type with repaired catch! Unfortunately I don't have a picture of mine at the moment-but here's the "square marked cousin" from this maker...

Micha

No problems here-good,original private purchased cross. The silvercontent stamp at the crossarm makes it interesting!

Micha

A kind of bar...the low budget version....

Micha

The Metalhead is back! This is just a half non combatant bar but I hope it qualifies.....

Micha

Some people at the SDA said it's worth the money-but I will have a personal look in it befor I will spend my money....

Micha

Simply a piece of junk,nothing more

I think so-the '39 Cross with the same kind of clamshell could be a nearly one so yes-I would put it into the 30ies.

Micha