Iron cross 2nd class, makers identification.

[Ilja Heimonen]

Hey!

 

Could someone help me identify this iron cross´s maker. I believe myself that it is made by S. Jablonski Gmb H (128), it would usually have an square stamp on the ring with the numbers 128. 

Any help is appreciated, reference info or anything. I have had this iron cross for a long time and i haven´t figured it out yet, of course we can never be sure

 

Thanks in advance,

Ilja

[Graf]

3 hours ago, Ilja Heimonen said:

Hey!

 

Could someone help me identify this iron cross´s maker. I believe myself that it is made by S. Jablonski Gmb H (128), it would usually have an square stamp on the ring with the numbers 128. 

Any help is appreciated, reference info or anything. I have had this iron cross for a long time and i haven´t figured it out yet, of course we can never be sure

 

Thanks in advance,

Ilja

https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/iron_cross/2nd_1st_class/2nd_class/ironcross_2.htm

[Ilja Heimonen]

 

On 30/07/2024 at 14:04, Graf said:

https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/iron_cross/2nd_1st_class/2nd_class/ironcross_2.htm

Thanks Graf, a very helpful website!

 

Edited August 5 by Ilja Heimonen

[ashley58]

Hi,

this doesn't look like a S Jablonski to me as they use a S&L core and has a very distinctive numeral `3` and according to IC2 by Meartz and Alt it doesn`t mention an unmarked version ? The most distinctive part of the is cross is the rounded inner corners and the very distinctive raised bead on the corners, so a bit of research info for you ...........

 

cheers

Ashley

Edited August 24 by ashley58

[Ilja Heimonen]

Hello Ashley!

 

Thank you for your insight! I myself have not been very confident in my S Jablonski take and have been looking for other makers. I also don't have the reference book that you mentioned so i greatly appreciate you sharing this knowledge. I will check out what i can find using the corners. 

 

Cheers

Ilja 

[ashley58]

If i am right the round inner corners and the `crows feet ` corners along with the die flaw in the upper right corner of the beading make this maker easily identifying ...... once you know ?????

Finding out is apparently the most fun i colleting these crosses.

good luck

 

[Ilja Heimonen]

I was browsing yesterday and the thing you said about those corners "crows feet" which i just called them sharp is very helpful. Many makers don't have anything like that and some do but nothing compared to theese corners. Haven't browsed all possible makers yet but I feel confident. 

 

 

Thanks again!

[Ilja Heimonen]

So an update to this. I have just been trying to find out the maker and I found this cross marked "26"

 

(or at least that's what they say in the website to me it looks more like a

 the numbers 25 "Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Graveur-Gold-und Silverschmeide-Innungen")

 

for sale and i have a feeling that it looks very much like my cross. In fact i think they look a little too much alike... I also have done some research and have heard that the maker 26 "B. H. Mayers Kunstprägesanstalt" here never marked his 2nd class iron crosses with "26". He marked them "L/18" or just generally left them unmarked. The frames on both mine and the online cross are identical to very small details. The patina doesn't seem to be too far apart and apart from a few stains here and there. I am not very experienced with this and i do not know how to handle what i have just discovered. Compared to other "25" and "26" crosses "25" maker's crosses are the most similiar to both of these crosses. What i am guessing right now is that either mine or the online one is a repro or both of them. I was just trying to find who made my cross and i fell into this rabbit hole 😄.

 

Any thoughts shared are gonna be greatly appreciated, I will continue looking for answers. 

See pictures below (Online marked pictures are of the cross that i found online and the Ilja marked pictures are of my cross that i own)

 

Cheers Ilja 

 

[ashley58]

Hi llja,

             sorry to say wit these better pictures i have concerns about this cross due to the very poor definition of the inner corners and the circle mark you show on the bottom of the three o1clock arm on both types.

I can find no reference to this marking in my reference material so with these factors i am dubiouse about the cross in question.

cheers

 

 

[Ilja Heimonen]

Hello Ashley!

 

I am not sure, but it seems like the circle is on 3 different corners. Upper left, upper right and bottom right. I mean it is a 3 piece craft, magnetic and so on but yeah I have some doubts the deeper in I go.

Very sad because i actually bought this in Berlin during a vacation and the first one that I bought I looked into deeper and knew it was a repro so I refunded it. This one is the second one that i bought during my time in Berlin and during the last days of my vacation i was confident that it wasn't a fake.

Also the whole thing about finding an almost identical frame on this cross i found online gives me doubts but if i am not wrong frames were stamped with a blanking die so i guess it could make sense...

 

cheers

 

 

Edited August 30 by Ilja Heimonen

[Colin Davie]

The cross is a Souval

[Ilja Heimonen]

Thanks Colin and Ashley

 

I see it now too. "Stutgart" fake i guess. I will keep it as an lesson!

 

Cheers, Ilja