Tim B

Sorry: Mis-named the title which should read... 1942 Spanish War Cross for Enlisted I am waiting on this one in the mail, but it looks to be a beauty! Two quick questions: 1) Was this awarded to Spanish personnel only, and only during WWII (I/E: Spanish Blue Division)? 2) I think this rates above the Red Military Merit Cross in order of precedence, correct? Okay, technically 3 questions. Thanks! Tim

Hi guys, Well, I think your question on silver content has been answered, so I will try and address the "Omaha Bank Hoard" issues a bit. These were coins that were stuffed away for many years, probably in bank rolls and never "certified" or slabbed as you see an example in my post above. Are they more valuable than say other graded coins of the same condition and year; No! When buying coins, especially graded or investment quality coins (MS-65 or higher), buy the coin and not the holder or the story. You'll see holders marked in a variety of ways theses days (I/E: Binion Collection or S.S. Minnow ) and they are really nothing more than an indication of where the coins came out of. Some view it strictly as a marketing tool while others do like to have a piece that might have come out of say- a shipwreck (which command a nice premium btw!!). The quality or condition is what will hold the investment, nothing else, unless you get into toned coins, then it all depends on who has to have it and the colors/patterns. The issue with the Omaha Bank Hoard is two-fold. First, collectors in just about anything are always looking for the best pieces to aquire for their collections and hopefully the collection value increases with age. Some seem to be more concerned with the "investment potential" than other aspects of collecting pieces of history, but that's another thread! But as collectors we always hope to find that next batch of undiscovered treasure for ourselves and get rich by selling off some of it at current market value; the rub comes when those items actually hit the street and in some aspects, drop the value of the same items already in other collections. Kind of like supply & demand; if there are more items available, then the price cannot go or stay high and must come down. No one that owns "stock" wants that! So, in the case of the Omaha Bank Hoard suddenly hitting the grading community, those that had coins that were affected, in essence lost some value in their collections; nothing to worry about for the common collector that might have a few hundred or thousand tied up, but IF you had large amounts of money invested in these coins and the same years/types all of a sudden popped up you can see the problem. That is why a lot of people are complaining that grading companies graded all these coins, some feel the grades were not as "consistent" as well, but it may be sour grapes by those heavily invested already. That's why I say; buy the coin and not the other stuff. The other side is of course it places more pristine quality coins on the market and allows others that might not have been able to get one earlier, a chance at acquiring one now and maybe at lower prices. I collect coins that are normally slabbed MS-64 or higher because the 64 grade is the grade just under the "investment quality" label and the prices jump substantially at the 65 grade. You can sometimes get a coin graded years ago that might grade higher now as the standards have apparently lowered somewhat over the years. I have a few like that in Morgan silver dollars. With this coin, it was my birth year, had full bell lines (FBL) and was a particularly nice strike IMO; the "Omaha Bank Hoard" logo was just an interesting side note that added it for me. Who knows, they might become more valuable down the road for it!! Keep in mind one thing when collecting. There are rare items, scarce items, and fairly common items out there in just about anything. True rare items (Col. Klink's monocule) will always be rare. What turns a scarce item into a common item is finding a "hoard" stuffed away somewhere. There is always going to be a hoard somewhere; it might be cased Mayer EK's, Deschler KVK's or coins buried in someones house, backyard or safety deposit box; it's just a matter of when it gets discovered. Hope that helps a bit? Tim ...and now for your viewing pleasure.

Hi James, No, thanks anyway. I really don't want to just "make" one up. I have a chance to get one, but the tip must be broken off and I was curious if they were repairable or not worth the time. I'll wait for a better one!! I do see some modern ones on US ebay as well, but not really into "that". I did miss out on a couple nice French CdG with original ones though. Tim You can see this one is missing the ball but appears to have been sewn on the cord.

Thank you James! I have an "opportunity" but the end attachment appears to have lost the finial or ball at the very tip. Not sure if ones were made that way or if in fact the ball is gone? If gone, were these one-piece construction or assembled and what is the chance to replace it? Tim

Yes, still legal tender, though you don't see them in circulation as much anymore. Depends on the circles they are distributed in I guess. It's kind of like $2. bills, they went out of circulation and then after a makeover in 1976, they came back. You don't normally see them in everyday circulation, but up here the ferry service uses them for change all the time. If you're into .50 pieces, might I suggest something a bit older, more collectable with a higher investment potential, though still quite affordable? Tim Both .50; you don't need to buy slab coins but being graded, they hold/appreciate their value nicely. Walking Liberty & Ben Franklin Half Dollars:

Bison, Thanks, that's good information! I remember somewhere that Angles & Pattard and another name was brought up as well and I couldn't figure out the lettering matching up with the manufacturer's name. Tim

South Seas...THATS where I need to be living! Tim

I still have questions on the fourragere for the Yser Medal/Cross. Apparently, the ribbon is this reddish color reminiscent of the Leopold I ribbon, but are there different designs in the finial? Looking at the below PIC (don't beat me) I see different style tips (ball) and wondered if they were due to different manufacture or designated different grades (I/E: Officer vs Enlisted)? Are there more styles?? Tim

Hi Rob, Yes, the most common ones I believe. The Paris Mint mark (Monnaie de Paris) is that cornucopia. The pyramid shape I can't make out but assume its one of the two posted above. "BR" is simply the stamp for bronze in both cases, which was common back then. Tim

Bison, What I have noticed are the ones with the triangular maker's marks do have a stronger strike than the typical Monnaie de Paris pieces and over time I think the condition has held up to wear better. This is apparent whether its a commemorative medal, combattant cross, or in this case, the victory medals. Tim

Appears to be a few different maker's marks on the French medals. I have see a couple different stamps with the triangle or pyramid shape stamp. Usually the one most common is stamped with a "J" "B" with what appears to be a cross in between the letters. Have also seen one that looks like a P & L. Here's some shots of what I have seen, not the best PICS but the marks are tiny to begin with. And of course the one on the bottom is the Paris mint mark (Monnaie de Paris) with the BR standing for Bronze. Tim

:cheeky: Don't worry, I didn't take offense, its not my site! Still, with so many sites dedicated to German/Russian/American decorations, it is nice to see a collector have more than just some token information on French & Belgian (& English) decorations for a change. Starting out, there just isn't that much in one location that shows good PICS, description, history and other nice to know information on the various awards. I have to give the guy credit, even if he doesn't get it all 100% correct. For a beginner in the (Belgian/French) field, like me, it's a great one-stop to get the basics. From there, then the forums (mainly this one) is where you get the nitty-gritty by confirming and asking questions to more seasoned collectors. I appreciate everybodies help, epecially if it saves me money and allows me to collect nice items that are what I think they are. Thanks again! Tim

Ferdinand, Many thanks for the response and helping put my mind at ease a bit! I think I carry too much paranoia over from the German (3rd Reich) area of collecting and feel the need to double/triple check eveything all the time. Any other thoughts? Tim

and the other: 1265371

Hi Larry, Yes, I have two other 1st class awards and the gilt has worn more than this one; similar to your piece shown. I have not compared the style of engraving to those two yet and honestly don't know what is correct. Most engraving tools leave a certan tell-tail style to them that often can date the tool. I just don't know what to look for on these. Here's another one of mine; a bit later in numbers. Tim 1264133:

The weight on this one is: without screw disk: 27.3 grams with screw disk: 40.0 grams Oh, the only damage is really just a bent screw post that got bent in the mail due to not using enough packing material. I may be able to straighten it but, if this piece is suspect, I'll just send it back. Again, appreciate any help here. Tim

My next concern, if you can call it concern, centers around the serial number and the way it is engraved. I really don't know what is correct and thought maybe someone might be able to look at the engraving style and tell if it's original or currently applied?

The gold color is pretty true to life (in hand). Here's a closer look at the lacquer.

The first, and foremost concern came when I noticed what appeared to be flash or resin in the recess of the sword. Looking through the loop, I see it appears to be some type of lacquer. Never seen this before and it made me question if the finish had been recently redone and a lacquer applied to seal it. Thoughts??

I could use some expert opinions here on a recent pick up. I have a few different stars and just received this one today. Unfortunately, it arrive a bit damaged due to poor packing and I may return it, but it did get me looking a lot closer at it upon receipt. I am wondering now, if the star might have been refinished and or re serial numbered and will post some close ups for examination by those that know more than I do on these awards. If more information is needed, let me know. Many thanks beforehand for any help! Tim Front:

:cheeky: Okay, good to know and helps put my mind at ease. Remember, a mind is a terrible thing... If I match this one up, I at least want it to be correct and complete, so...the hunt is on! Tim

Hi Jef! Yes, I have looked over their site and had considered getting the ribbon there if necessary (about $30.!!) but Hendrik was kind enough to find me a nice original period replacement piece for a lot less!! I do not see any attachments being sold on their site and had considered asking them, but figured if they did have extra palms they probably wouldn't be correctly marked with the "A" anymore. Its a chance and I should ask, afterall the worse they can tell me is no. They might point me in the right direction though. Thanks for making me rethink it!! I looked the ribbon over closely again last night and still feel its a palm and not crossed swords. The irregular shape and width of the shadow tell me its not swords. The swords attachment on my Leopold II has four mounting pins and I used that as a guide on this example with only two holes in the ribbon, but of all the pieces that I have seen with a palm attached, the palm is more horizontal and not slanted to this angle. Any thoughts about that guys?? Tim

Now, it appears I need a palm to plug those holes! Any ideas where I might get lucky finding one of those? Gilt I assume? You can barely see the old outline of the one that used to be there. Tim

Well, a step closer, and looking Great!!! Tim

Hi Rob! That's interesting, first one I've seen like that. Tim