Kev in Deva

Hi, Gordon, thats a great looking one, I am attempting to put together a set of the Inter-Allied Victory Medals. with variations. Hopefully I will obtain an official Japanese one soon. With regard the Japanese there were two types an Official, designed by Masakichi Hata and a "REPRO" produced in France a short time after the original was issued. The copy can be identified by its ball suspension device and shall depth of striking compared to the original Official issue. There are also die diferences such a smaller globe, slimmer characters, and the accent lines in the flags are missing. Also another point to note is the medal dosent fit exactly into the recess in the wooden box Numbers Issued by Japan: approximtely 400,000 Some of the copies are marked on the edge "MADE IN FRANCE". Additionaly very pale lines of green and yellow distinguish original Japanese Victory Medals from the Western made ribbons. POINT TO NOTE: In the last couple of years this Japanese type as well as the more rarer Allied Victory medals of Brazil, Cuba, Siam-Thailand, Greece, Portugal, Romania are being copied/faked. I believe they are coming out of the Birmingham area of England, one seller on British Ebay has the decency to declare them for what they are, however another EBayer out of Belgium regularly lists them as originals , the give away is the bog standard chocolate-brown colour and same ribbon to all. Once again thanks for showing this great item. even in the wrong spot

With regard the Baden Medal, I have three, two are "singles" in my collection, one with the Silver finish but has the oval ribbon Ose broken off, but still with it! and weighs 22 grams. The other is more unusual its got a small silver round ring attached in the place of the more normal Ose, and is copper / bronze (two thin plates between which is sandwhiched an Iron core, which shows some pitting,) and weighs 25 grams. The reason for the small ring I am sure is to hang from the more conventianal hooks on the Spange and for it to sit at a better angle, the normal ribbon ring meant the medal would be lopsided when hung conventianly. Both have the small letters R.M. to the right of the collar of Freidrich II. The third is on a Wooden homemade spange with an EK II and the Hindenburg Honour Cross!!! If the copper one has had the silver wash polished off it dosent seem to have worn much of the detail away unless some type of chemical cleaner / solvent was used, and I am not sure what the difference of 3 grams would mean, combined weight of the silver wash?? sorry for the crappy pics Well thats my tuppenceworth on it, Cheers from Kev in Transylvania, Romania

Hallo Gentlemen, just signed up today to your forum's. And as I have 30 WW1 (ish) EK IIs single as well as on bars thought I would share this with you. Attached poor photos show an EK II (shiny one piece), which weighs 21 gm, measures 51mm left to right & top to bottom, ribbon ring is 14mm wide*, the detail of the inner area seems to sit a little higher than what is seen on the original cross. Apart from the "Silver" never losing the shine, the black finish has a very glossy look, the only "flaws" being what looks like a hair-line crack on the original mold which starts from about 5mm to the right of the Ose retaing hoop and carries on down to the right-hand side of the crown, and seems to continue from the tip of the acorn through the 3 in 1813 and on to the lip of the silver rim. Also the paint job dosen't carry on to exactly the beaded silver rimm on the rear upper arm and the right middle arm upper. * as compared with 15mm of the 3 Piece marked WILM? Maybe its a Jeweler's made replacement? or just a fake / copy or a copy of a fake, anythought's would be welcome.