Braunschweig KVK 1st class

[chuck]

Gentlemen, 

I've purchased a nice cross from Braunschweig Military merit Cross 1st that is on the way from the dealer, and am looking at identifying who may be the maker. I recently noticed WOSCHLER ORDER had sold one that looks identical except the needle system. They have quoted the below literature stating Herman Jurgens had provided cross supplied by two jewelers Lauer of Nurnberg, and Brehmer of Markneukirchen.

Does anyone know if this cross is from either manufacture??

Literatur: Lehmann, Eike. Geschichte des braunschweigschen Kriegsverdienstkreuzes. In: Orden und Ehrenzeichen. Das Magazin für Freunde der Phaleristik Nr. 122 (August 2019). S. 182–195.

 

[chuck]

After a long delay due to mail restrictions i final received my KVK.

I ask again does nay one know who the manufactured this type?

 

Edited July 10, 2020 by chuck

[Eric Stahlhut]

i would be very cautious with this one, as this type of needle system (godet style) is popping up on reproductions

Edited July 11, 2020 by Eric Stahlhut

[VtwinVince]

I agree, and the EA Cross is one of the most heavily faked of the EK equivalents.

[dond]

I don't see anything alarming here other than we have three different reverse setups.

 

[Eric Stahlhut]

i don't think the reverse setups on these three are too different, just photographed at slightly different angles. as the pin assemblies were most likely hand-assembled there should be minute variations...also, lauer pin assemblies generally did not look like this. and gustav brehmer had a different style as well, particularly the ww2-era pinbacks.

i hope i'm wrong, as it certainly is an attractive cross, but as i stated initially, caution is needed.

edit: as per konstantin nikolaev:

It is not known which company was the official manufacturer of the Cross of the 1st class in the period 1914/18. Later, during the period of the Weimar Republic and the 3rd Reich, KVK was manufactured by a number of companies for retail sale. At a minimum, the number of KVK manufacturers is more than a dozen.

In the catalogs of five firms there is an image of a cross of the 1st class. These are:
1. Boerger & Co, Berlin
2. W.Deumer, Ludenscheid
3. Godet, Berlin
4. Steinhauer & Luck, Ludenscheid
5. O.Schickle, Pforzheim

1st class crosses by P. Meybauer, Berlin are marked.

With a specific hinge, hook and pin, it is highly likely that the first-class cross was produced by Petz & Lorenz, Reichenbach.

There are original crosses of the 1st class of another five unknown manufacturers.

 

 

Edited July 11, 2020 by Eric Stahlhut

[ccj]

I know the Lippe cross id an original 

[Eric Stahlhut]

3 hours ago, ccj said:

I know the Lippe cross id an original 

so, no evidence of casting? that's good news

[BlackcowboyBS]

Hello,

sadly but true, there plenty of copies of the KVK 1. class on the market. During WW1 Hermann Jürgens was the only supplier of these crosses for the ordens chancellorie. But he didn't produce them. There were 3 manufactores making theses decorations for him:

1: Münzprägeanstalt L. Chr. Lauer in Nuerenberg

2: Gustav Brehmer in Markneukirchen

3: Koch & Bergfeld in Bremen.

None of these manurfactorers signed their pieces. At the end of the war, there was a shortage of nearly every material in Imperial Gemany, so the crosses were made from bronzed zinc.

Much more information on the decorations from Braunschweig are to be found in book 2 of the 3 volumed book on the orders and medals of the duchy from Brunswick. 

 

[BlackcowboyBS]

I can show you a very nice war merit cross 1st class from Brunswick from the roaring twenties of last century. It is made by Godet and in prince size. 

We have a similar discussion in the iron cross section. Is this an original or not. Well for sure it wasn't awarded by the duchy of Brunswick and handed out to the soldier, which should get decorated. As stated above many mor manufactores offered imperial orders duringthe republic of Weima and in the third Reich. If one of the former recipients got a war merit cross 1st cladd and wanted to buy a second or a new one, because his old one got lost, looks bad or he simply wanted to have a second one, then I would say it is an original piece, but not an officially awarded one.

Godet for sure never made these durng the war. The war merit cross 1.st class was instituted in the last seven months of WW1. Shortage of nearly every metal forbid production of crosses like this one showing here. Even the official suppliers of Herman Jürgens had to ask for permission to use Tomback or Zinc for producing these crosses. The ministery of war in Berlin was the department, where the Brunswick ordens chancllerie had to ask for permission to use the metal to produce orders. If the war ministery said no, then they couldn't produce these medals. 

I am looking forward to hearing your opinion, what an original makes an original.

PS: Photos taken out of the book: "Die Orden und Ehrenzeichen des Herzogtums Braunschweig von 1696 bis 1918" with permission of the publishing company.