Question on zahringen lion Knights 1st cl

[scottplen]

Was Knights cross 1st class ever issued in silver gilt ? Or only gold ? 

Edited February 22, 2017 by scottplen

[scottplen]

[CRBeery]

Silver gilt were done.

[paul wood]

Basically these are generally speaking Great War issues when the gold was needed for the war effort. The same is true with most German Imperial Orders.

Paul

[saschaw]

On 23/02/2017 at 13:59, paul wood said:

Basically these are generally speaking Great War issues when the gold was needed for the war effort. The same is true with most German Imperial Orders.

In general, I can give thumbs up for this statement, but I have to clearify: Baden changed from gold to silver gilt - or, to be acurate, to silver with a mechanical gold plating - as far back as 1910. So, this wasn't made due to war caused gold shortage, but just to save some money for the state.

However, it is very easy to alter a knight's cross 2nd class to a (gilt) knight's cross 1st class, just by gilding it. From poor pictures, I couldn't tell original and manipulated pieces apart... they are a mine field, in my opinion. Unless they have the "D" mark stamped in the medaillon body. As a Baden collector, I avoid anything else.