Hauptmann

Been a long while since I've been able to add anything to this part of my collection. I've been wanting one of the serial numbered medals since I got into these and finally managed to get one. Seller (Motka) says it's a 1954 but hoping one of you can either confirm or correct this if it's wrong and perhaps give a bit more info on it.

Also, does anyone happen to have a piece of green replacement ribbon for these?

Prussian Crown Order button hole miniature:

Got it to go with a full sized on a double bar... 1914 EK 2/Crown Order 4th Class.

Dan

Hi Dan. you're right, the letters are:

--A

AOC

--C

I just feel as though I've seen this somewhere before... but cannot for the life of me remember. Will keep looking but hoping against hope someone ID's it soon... it's driving me NUTS!

Dan

Any objections if we move this to the fakes forum to help the database?

Excellent suggestion Chris. No problems on my end. I'd like to see this do as much good as possible so no one else ends up with one. If it saves one person from falling into the same trap then it's all been worth it.

Dan

Video... I could cry!

http://www.reuters.c...ideoChannel=200

http://www.cbsnews.c...ch/?id=7369943n

http://www.cnn.com/v...omber.crash.WLS

Dan

http://www.chicagotr...story?track=rss

I just don't have the heart to post the pics and full article. I love to see em fly but this is the price we have to pay.

I thank God everyone is safe... but what a tremendous loss to history.

Dan

It's the letters on the ribbon... the A is clear... but not the others.

Could be AOC or AOG or AOE... seems to run from top to bottom and from side to side. I've tried doing searches for same but so far no luck. Will keep trying. But perhaps he can made it out. Again it may be the clue needed to ID this. Also, ask him if the ribbon is purple or blue. That too could make a difference.

Dan

I see letters on the cross on the ribbon... but can only clearly make out the A in the pic. What are the other letters? That could help.

Dan

I think there was an article ages ago in one of the German magazines pointing this out as a fake.

best

Chris

Many thanks Chris. Well, I guess it's time to hang it up then... at least as far as anything outside of members here that I can trust re: anything German from any war or era, but especially anything out of the ordinary.

Very disheartening! I simply cannot tell anymore.

Dan

Many thanks Gordon... on all counts! Can't wait for the new ref... just hoping I won't have to mortgage the house to afford one.

Dan

This type of screwback is considered controversial by many Wound Badge collectors. Detlev once featured this style in one of his "Fake of the Week" features.

Can't recall whether they are said to be a copy of a known original style or whether the style itself is bad. I've seen images on another Forum (GCA)of two of these which appear to have come from different tooling so one miught be a fake mimicking the other which is real, or both could be fake. I don't think a definitive decision was reached.

Dear Gordon,

THANK GOD! A response! I thought perhaps everyone had left but me... was starting to hear the crickets chirping! Seriously though, thanks for getting with me on this one.

I'd no idea this was the case. All I can say is, holding it in my hands... and having quite a number in my collection (not screwbacks) from WW1 up through the 57's... seeing the detail on this one... how well it's made... even down to how well the screwback fits and moves on the post... no wobble, etc., I have to say, if it's not good... then we have a BIG PROBLEM as it would mean the fakers are getting far TOO good.

I don't know if this helps at all one way or the other but I know some WB's are magnetic and others are not... I tested it and this one is.

But again... holding it in ones hand it compares very favorably to all the other originals I have and have seen/handled over the years... which is a considerable number. Although I've not seen/handled many screwbacks and till one of my friends gave me one a couple years back (double screwback WW2) I'd never owned one... or any other Imperial or TR screwback award. So I can't really speak too much on the screwback portion... other than re: the many examples I've seen on here and the web in general, in refs, etc. But re: the WB itself... again the work is definitely what you'd expect from an original piece.

Unless more info comes to light I can only say I feel good about this one. Nothing is calling "Kirk to the bridge"... no red alert lights are coming on. I got it for a very good price so not worried in that department at all. But would be nice to have it confirmed for sure. This is a perfect example of why I, and I'm sure many others, have gotten so skittish about getting anything TR these days. But again the price was low enough that I had to take the chance.

Again many thanks for popping over the additional info.

Dan

Dan

Dan

Dan

New scans of first one:

New scans of the first one:

New scans:

No thoughts/opinions?

Dan

No thoughts/opinions?

Dan

Definitely the monogram of King Leopold II and looks very similar to the Civic Decoration... but after 30 minutes of searching my limited Belgian, general ODM and ribbon bar references as well as the web I can't find an exact match. Hoping someone can ID this one.

Dan

hi i havent as its a member selling it and i dont want to upset him

Hi Betty,

If it's from a member then there should be no problem. We hold ourselves to very high standards here. I'm sure if you ask him he'll be happy to let you post pictures of the bayo in question.

As far as the grips... what you describe are bakelite grips. Bakelite was an early form of plastic used in many items... telephones, radios, jewelry... you name it. If you go to a search engine and type in bakelite then go to images you'll see tons of different items made from this material.

Re: K98 bayonets... grips were made in wood, black plastic, stag horn and ivory on custom ordered pieces such as dress or presentation bayonets) as well as bakelite which were in shades of red. Here's a couple of pics of same... I'm assuming this is the same type you are looking at:

These are perfectly legit. They started to use bakelite on these around 1937 - 1938 I believe.

Hope this helps.

Dan

Dan