1939 EK2 purchase. Is it legit?

[Ozbrit]

Hi all.

I've been lurking for a while and have now joined up.
So let me start with the standard beginners question. Is my Iron Cross legit?
It is of 3 piece construction with a magnetic core. The core doesn't rattle, but I can fit the corner of a piece of paper between the frame and core.
There is no makers mark, the ring is soldered. There is a neat join down the edge of the frame. It is 43.5mm wide.
The black finish looks matte in real life. I have added scans, daylight photos and cheap desktop microscope photos to try and cover all bases.
What do you guys think?
I have the opportunity to plead my case with the seller. He's a legit dealer that has been in business for decades, some people don't like him though.

There are things that worry me, but I don't want to pre-empt. 
All opinions appreciated.

[Ilja Heimonen]

Hello! 

 

I am no professional and a recent begginer too but here is my opinion ( take it with a grain of salt ). I think it is an original but i have a few complaints. Could you provide me it´s weigh? Is it maker stamped on the ring? I also don´t like how the front 1939 text´s font is different from the back 1813. And i also think the swastika might bee too fat/dull. Again my opinion is worth the same as the back alley drug dealers. Otherwise i think it is legit! 

 

All the best,

Ilja Heimonen

Edited June 28, 2024 by Ilja Heimonen

[ashley58]

Hi,

    I know that this post has been up for some time but life has been busy. This cross is a real strange one, the obverse  looks O.K. but the date on the reverse is quite strange and is not like any other i have seen. The seam on the edge looks as though it has been split then re-soldered ? a real anomaly not one i would be happy with.

Sorry

cheers

Ashley

[Ozbrit]

Hi guys, thanks for the info.
I did end up keeping the medal, mainly because I forgot to return it  before the window of opportunity closed.
I'm pretty sure this is a post war Frankenstein/fake.
Most likely scenario, in my opinion, is that the frame is a leftover  from the era and the core was stamped out of two mis-matched, worn out dies. The obverse die just being plain worn out. I think the reverse die was cracked but they continued to use it, resulting in the misaligned, chopped up 1813. The ring requires no comment.
Either way it's an interesting piece, I don't mind owning it. It's taught me a fair bit in the quest to authenticate or disprove it. The bigger lesson though, is to look before I leap, ha ha ha.
As this was never awarded to a member of the Wehrmacht, I have decided to award it to myself as a cross of foolishness. It will hopefully, in future, remind me not to ignore red flags. 

[ChrisKelly]

This EK2 is an obvious fake.  Nonetheless, it's a fascinating fake, and definitely worth keeping.  Years ago, I saw an 1870 EK2 that had bern faked, quite well, using parts from a genuine 1914 EK2.