A FAKE Southwest Afrika Medal

[Guest Rick Research]

I don't know whether this ghastly blatant cast fake Southwest Africa 1904-06 (!!) medal is an "old" piece or the beginning of a new wave of "retro" junk which makes me think of the level of "skill" used in the 1970s. Red added remark is mine, not seller's-- since it is being sold as an original, "credit where credit is due."

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Note the bizarre painted on/wiped off type BLACK "patina" trying to hide casting grains and the shoddy blurred, indistinct lettering and numbers.

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[Guest Rick Research]

I really haven't seen anything this ostentatiously BAD since Third Reich fakes 30 years ago. But since I never saw Imperial fakes like this Way Back When, it is my sinking suspicion that this is a NEW production of horrid junk.

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Difficult as it is to believe how anybody could imagine the piece above was "original," here below IS an original for point by point contrast. Note the sharp, crisp lettering and numbers, as opposed to the melted partial blobs, "twinkling night sky stars" casting grains, and helmet's "midair floating pearl" above, and of course the startling difference in real versus chemical "age" patina. Since my original is sewn down in a medal bar, I could not get the reverse, but will show front and back of an orginal steel noncombatant medal next. The reverses are different combatant vs noncombatant, but look at the detailing.

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Beginning collectors please be on the lookout for fakes like the blackened cast horror shown here and always remember to buy the piece and not the dealer! When in doubt ASK YOUR FELLOW COLLECTORS HERE.

[Guest Rick Research]

Here are obverse and reverse of an ORIGINAL steel "stay at homes" and non-combatant Southwest Africa medal. Notice the level of detail, contrasted with the cast fake above.

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[Gerd Becker]

Well, another proof of the Expensive-Meisters incompetence.

[Claudio]

Rick, Gerd!

I know that I shouldn't use this kind of vocabulary and I should be more politically correct but this is the fugliest copy of a Imperial German Medal I have ever seen... shame on the Expensive-Meister!

Ciao,

Claudio

[Guest Brian von Etzel]

He put his name on this? He put HIS name on this? HE put his name on this? He put his NAME on this?

Good grief. How could anyone be that stupid. That's just screaming dumb.

[Christian L]

the first fake of the DSWA Medal i've seen in my live (ok, not that long - but i tried to see a few of those)

and such a crapy one (sadly the clasps are better faked)

christian

[HeikoGrusdat]

this fake is too bad, we all can be happy that the germania has not the "Schultz" stamped in the helmet...

[landsknechte]

On the up side, at least the bad finish prevents us from seeing a reflection of him in der buff in the photographs of the items...

--Chris

P.S.

Although, I've got to admit, it'd make a cool keychain if he'd kick the decimal place over two notches to the left.

Edited August 17, 2005 by landsknechte

[Gerd Becker]

Btw, 95 Dollar is a heck of a good price for the Expensive-Meister, if you ask me. Normally he would charge much more for it. Maybe he knows???

Gerd