joe campbell

just to let you know if you've not heard

of the death of Herr Simon Wiesenthal.

a survivor of a number of death camps,

he was a lifelong advocate for justice

for those who survived the Holocaust

and those who didn't.

he died peacefully in his sleep in his

90's, something millions victims of

world war 2 - political, military, and otherwise -

didn't have the oppurtunity to do.

joe

my thanks to all of you for an intensely i

interesting and informative thread.

this kind of dialogue - thought provoking and

unique - is where education occurs.

best,

joe

I would wager that it was simply artistic preference.

←

tool and die craftsman-even in the mundane world

of hammers, bottle caps, and hexhead bolts-are

often pretty talented folks.

stir in some "jewelry" makers and some government

guidelines, and you will get a wide variety of variances

'mongst these folks.

i like the outies better myself.

joe

jacques-

that von mackensen photo is absolutely

my favorite. he looks like one who would

command respect!

(i would love to have one of these if anyone has a duplicate!)

rick-

do you know if there are any age restrictions on transferring

"corrupt individuals" to the eastern front?

great thread, everyone!

joe

i have perused a friends collection of

several hundred EK documents- mostly EK 2,

but some EK 1-and have not seen one that

describes anything more than the date,

name/rank/serial number/ and unit.

i WILL tell you that the variety of presentations

of the EK documents is astonishing!!

chris, this is a BEAUTY! thanks for the pictures.

joe

i don't know that it IS enough said, brad.

i have sand from omaha beach.

i have a piece of the concrete poured for the naval

shore batteries hastily constructed at norfolk navy yard

shortly after pearl harbor was bombed.

i have pieces of shrapnel i picked up off the battlefield

when i was a child in the 50's and 60's.

etc.

they are important parts of my collection - a small,

temporarily curated piece of history - which my

children understand and are aware of.

i understand your reaction to some extent, but would

caution you to consider your expression of it a bit more carefully.

mr lumsden, i am certain, is capable of his own response.

my perspective on him is that he has given to this avocation

infinately more than he will ever take out.

sincerely,

joe campbell

very impressive, christophe!

my compliments.

joe

mischa-

very nice and complete package!

thanks for the pix.

joe

PK-

you are the soul of brevity.

i think those three sentences just about sum it up.

best,

joe

the high percentage of darkening on the goblet

and the much lower percentage on the cross are

mitigated by the fact that they appear qualitatively

the same - both are present to a greater or lesser

degree, and both are impressive in the character

they lend to each of the items.

thanks for the pix.

joe

vince-

please post it!

the only other picture i've seen is in "the iron time".

thanks!

joe

vince-

my understanding is that much that had been removed

from the museum in baghdad has been returned.

and with the complicity of the american invaders, no less.

bit of a BGS...

regards,

joe

is that lacquer at the depths of the engraving, to

provide an attractive contrast?

it just appears to be so absolutely uniform in color.

joe

well said, rick!

and thanks for the attention to this, ed.

i have received the info from OMSA as well,

but have not perused it yet.

my earliest "collecting" involved the receipt

of a number of my grandfather's awards which

he earned in WW 1 as a battalion surgeon.

this prompted an interest in other american pieces

which i pursued actively for awhile.

at a local show, i found essentially an entire

grouping of an NCO who had participated in

WW 2, Korea, and Viet Nam. this had been

obtained in a piecemeal fashion in what sounds like

a "my family history for drug money" circumstance.

the dealer had attempted to sell it back to the family

who could not afford to buy it.

whether or not i was being naive at his "story",

i decided to focus on things that were not so close to home...

i voted with my wallet and my focus.

having said that, it was MY decision, not my government's.

i have always felt that the MoH law was paternalistic and

unnecessary. this further wording clearly promotes that

paternalism.

if my grandfather had won the MoH, it would be in my family

forever....

or until i could sell it to pay for my child's kidney transplant...

or my house in n'oleans got trashed and i needed to rebuild....

or whatever....

you get my drift.

hands off with the legislation, already!

joe

at last count, the baron had shot down 5,285 enemy aircraft,

including 7 P-51's and an F-15....

i agree. a very nice pokal with a very bogus plaque attached.

joe

chet-

i'd be happy to have this in my collection.

it would be nice to say the box was imperial,

but there are so many plausible explanations

as to why it is not, and the cross and case

are both in such wonderful shape.

nice find!

joe

first time i've seen the spanish non-combatant cross on a medal

bar like this!

fantastic!

any idea what the bar actually sold for?

looks like andreas thies' catalogue.

thanks.

joe

open pin.

these pictures don't do justice to this piece.

reverse.

the newest member of my EK family,

courtesy of the wise and amiable tony!!

it appears to be an earlier issue with

a magnetic core, 98% finish, and a

hinge reminiscent of some of the '39's.

the main difference is the catch, which is

a flattish affair that would raise eyebrows

in a 1939 issue.

BTW, tony was an absolute pleasure to

work with.

comments appreciated, esp regarding period of manufacture.

thanks,

joe

i am in agreement with herr garvy:

the L/11 i suspect is a good one,

the L/52 deserves a pass.

i WOULD be interested in hearing about

silver content numbers on 1939 issue EK's.

i can't recall that i've seen 800/835 etc on

anything other than RK's.

any thoughts?

thanks,

joe

enjoyed the pix in the lounge!

is there any legal danger from picking this stuff up?

is there any physical danger from the UXB (ordnance)?

thanks!

joe

as an Imperial medal bar newbie...

deruelle, would you be so kind as to

identify the medal bar awards?

my guess:

PEK/bavarian?/black eagle order/PKO/Zahringen Lowe/?/bavarian?/?/bavarian?

all of them are in magnificent condition.

this would be a certerpiece for any collection!

thanks,

joe

i had no idea...

very helpful to have this chapter opened

a bit more broadly.

one can get a somewhat slanted view of things,

and these medals and their histories give me

"the other side of the coin".

many thanks, ed!

joe

B.H.Mayer square buttoned case??

nice!

joe