Eric Stahlhut

i've noted that niemann has sold this type in the past, and carsten zeige's most recent auction also had one of these up for sale (unsold). both vendors state that this type is of later manufacture. can anyone place it into a definitive time frame/maker? rothe, perhaps? it's silver gilt and unmarked

i certainly don't have a problem with this cross. the flaking of the paint is relatively common with these examples. also, the beveled tips of the cross are a nice feature.

wasn't there a militaria dealer in england that was selling these contemporary cases (or something very similar) for a variety of awards? if i recall correctly, many of them were configured as deluxe iron cross/ knight cross cased sets. please correct me if i am in error!

this is a fake.

fascinating! thank you!!

the screwback system has been replaced with a horizontal pin, which interestingly enough is of the type found on wound badges said to be of austrian manufacture

micha, here is a very worn example of a 'silber' marked screwback with a type II core

excellent! thank you for sharing.

my impression is that this is a post ww2 badge

a classic private purchase ek1!

very nice item!

cool! i like the plate behind the hinge as well.

chances are slim, but that's a nicely done repair. it doesn't look like either the owner or jeweler was taking any chances of allowing the catch to break for a second time!

thanks gents, the leather washer really caught my eye. i once saw a beautiful screwback gold 1914 wound badge in .800 silver that had a leather washer, and always wondered if this material was used far more frequently than we realize. perhaps that may explain why we see so many screwback crosses without metal backing plates? perhaps it was popular because it made the awards a bit lighter and comfortable to wear. just a thought...who knows for sure

yep, that's probably the case. whoever put it together did a good job, though. everything fits and looks great!

disregard the oil on my fingertips....cars.

toning and tarnish on device is most certainly contemporary to main body of cross. threading on the post is very fine and the device screws on with a perfect fit. whether or not it is proprietary to the cross is certainly debatable, as i haven't encountered a similar example before. also, notice the leather disc. it too seems to be from the same period

the finish on the core is long gone--may have originally been blued. no trace of paint

very nice set! my only concern is the rust on the core. shouldn't that have left some stains on the inside of the lid?

all joking aside, i'm glad it was you who got it! that one did catch my eye, as i like oddball items such as this, but i'm sticking to my strict regimen which consists solely of ek1s, freikorps items, and wound badge variants. enjoy it--it's a nice bar. unique!

this item was recently auctioned on eBay. is that where you last saw it?

i'm very excited about obtaining this cross i usually don't stray into ww2-era cross territory, but i just couldn't pass this one up.