Heaves Heavy Sigh, alas St. Henry

[Stogieman]

Found this one on eBay.de. A new one for me. At quick glance, it appears to be an early St. Henry with a fixed crown. But it’s not, the crown is movable/hinged. The color of the gold is what initially caught my eye. Upon closer examination the craftsmanship, especially the enamel, color of enamel, details and appearance of all components look pretty suspect to me. Seems very crude for what it’s supposed to be.

First two images from the listing.

Second two from a known original, pre-1871, in a Friend’s collection.

The listed cross doesn’t conform to either known early versions, or later silver-gilt examples.

Has someone come up with a new attempt to deceive? What the heck is this supposed to be??

 

Edited December 18 by Stogieman

[Stogieman]

Sorry, first picture was cut off for some reason, now it’s the last one 

[VtwinVince]

Hmmm, that is a weird one Rick, quality seems rock bottom.

[Stogieman]

I’m not sure what I’m missing here, up to 538-Euro? @VtwinVince has there been any discussion on the German Forums about this piece?

[VtwinVince]

Not yet, I'm on it.

[Stogieman]

Thanks!!! Appreciate your checking with our colleagues!

[VtwinVince]

The consensus is that this is one of the St.&L. pieces produced in the 1960's, so the price is particularly ridiculous.

[Stogieman]

Interesting and thanks. I’ve never seen this variation before. I would have to agree that the bidding is a little stupid 

[VtwinVince]

I've seen a couple of these in the past, and they were usually worn around the neck, contrary to statutes. I think they generally sell for a couple hundred bucks, so why people would pay the kind of money that would get you a real one is beyond me.

[Stogieman]

Bidding has actually gone backwards, some people have retracted bids 

[Stogieman]

Final results: 696-Euro! Holy moly! And it looks like a piece of junk!!

[VtwinVince]

Not sure what to make of that result, collective hysteria and insanity?