Help on this commander star of FJO

[eos512]

Can you guys help me on this commander star of FJO? Is it a post-war reproduction? Some of friends argued that it might be a post-war reproduction. Any thoughts? Thanks

 

[Elmar Lang]

I regret to inform that this piece is a well-known fake (not a copy, I mean, but a piece produced to deceive collectors), that sarted to appear in the early 2000s.

 

It's a carefully-made cast, copying even the struck maker's and hallmarks, both to the star's corpus and the pin.

 

The centre, also cast, can be found either with real enamel, or synthetic one. Typical "red alert", the roughly-made "FJ" to the centre medallion and the very inaccurate piercing to the star's rays.

 

I hope you could have a money-back guarantee, because in my opinion -sorry to say- it is worth just the value of the metal used.

 

All the best,

 

E.L.

[Christian1962]

I can add a little detail: if you have a look onto the hallmarks, you can see that they are very blurry. This is a typical cast issue. The hallmarks would be more distinctive if they were hit and not just casted.

 

Regards

 

Christian

[eos512]

On 04/12/2021 at 00:35, Elmar Lang said:

I regret to inform that this piece is a well-known fake (not a copy, I mean, but a piece produced to deceive collectors), that sarted to appear in the early 2000s.

 

It's a carefully-made cast, copying even the struck maker's and hallmarks, both to the star's corpus and the pin.

 

The centre, also cast, can be found either with real enamel, or synthetic one. Typical "red alert", the roughly-made "FJ" to the centre medallion and the very inaccurate piercing to the star's rays.

 

I hope you could have a money-back guarantee, because in my opinion -sorry to say- it is worth just the value of the metal used.

 

All the best,

 

E.L.

Thank you EL for your great help. Luckily I didn't make the payment because I am a bit skeptical about the item. I think I will talk to the auction house about it. 

[Elmar Lang]

Which Auction House, if I may ask?

[Elmar Lang]

Hello again,

 

my words are not a criticism to anyone, but I would like to remember that before leaving bids on any auctioned piece, even from the most reputed seller, a prospective buyer should carefully check the catalogue description and, if not possible to personally inspect a piece, carefully studying the provided pictures.

 

I think that the images attached to this discussion, are those provided by the auctioneer: well, those were clear enough to say a definite "keep out!". I don't like to be crude or sharp, but the images of the marks first, are a "we're not struck!" warning, as clearly pointed out by Christian and me in the posts above.

 

The centre medallion: no piece made by Mayer's Söhne, ever had such a wrongly and badly made part!... the "VIRIBUS UNITIS" piece, is also very badly finished.

 

Looking the star's reverse, immediately appears how bad the piercings are: even a realtively recent copy of Rothe, usually is excellently carried out in its details, even in the abovementioned star's piercings.

 

Besides the experience a collector could or should have matured in the course of time and the good resources available on the Internet, I would like to remember the very fine recent volumes of Ortner-Ludwigstorff, that besides the invaluable text, are rich of excellent pictures where to see as-they-should-be pieces. They're relatively expensive, but worth any of the Euro spent to purchase them.

 

I repeat: please, let's sit down and think, before bidding on something outside our at least basic knowledge.

 

As a matter of interest, I would like to post some details from a breast star of the Order of Leopold, a copy made by Rothe & Neffe, Vienna, dating from the '60s of the 20th Century: it is exactly the piece published in V. Měřička: "Orden und Ehrenzeichen der Oesterreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie", Vienna, Schroll, 1974, plate XXV (as a personal note, this piece was given to me by the late Prof. Fattovich as a kind present for my 20th birthday). As we can see, besides the overall accurate manufacture, the piercings to the rays, are most accurately and precisely done... even on -I repeat- a copy.

 

Where a fake, produced only to deceive a collector, fails in every respect: quality, workmanship, finish.

 

All the best,

 

Enzo (E.L.)

 

 

[eos512]

On 08/12/2021 at 22:50, Elmar Lang said:

Which Auction House, if I may ask?

Emedals

[Elmar Lang]

Hello,

 

Emedals is a highly reputed dealer so, I am sure that you both shall find a proper agreement to solve the problem with this breast star.

[Gordon Craig]

Gentlemen,

 

I have done a lot of business with emedals but they sometimes post items that I would not buy.  That happens with all auction houses/dealers.  It is up to the buyer, as was said above, to do their due diligence and study what the vendor says, and does not say, as well as the pictures, before buying.  emedals will accept the return of anything that you buy from them without hesitation.

 

Regards,

 

Gordon