Schlesischer Adler / Silesian Eagles

[John Doe]

Can you post photos of the reverse?

Javier

Edited March 20, 2007 by John Doe

[Scott]

Not mine, but found posted at an on-line auction, listed as a "Post-War Museum Copy by Godet."

Scott

[Gerd Becker]

Not mine, but found posted at an on-line auction, listed as a "Post-War Museum Copy by Godet."

Scott

Scott, thats definately not Godet, but he probably means "G?de". This is the typical style of the G?de replicas.

[TacHel]

Ralph, I have never before seen a Silesian Eagle with crossed swords. Can you shed some light on it?

Special meaning?

Jeweler's copy?

Bestowee's modification?

I'm really curious!

Cheers,

Frank from Canada

Edited May 9, 2007 by TacHel

[Daniel Murphy]

I have been watching you all post your eagles and I have wanted one for years. I have had chances to buy the iron/ base metal issue versions several times, but never really liked quality of the ones I saw. I only wanted one and if it is enameled all the better. I went to a small show today and after wandering down aisle after aisle of AR15's, air soft guns and beef jerky sellers, I thought I was going home empty. I got near the end of the last row and a seller had this. We worked out a deal because he hadn't sold much and this came home with me for a pittance. Still it emptied my wallet, but it was worth it. from your other post's it would appear to be a 1940's Schickle. This is the only convex one I have seen, is this common? Some of yours looked like they may be like this as well. Or is it just the lighting?

Dan

Edited June 17, 2007 by Daniel Murphy

[Daniel Murphy]

Reverse has a repair to the catch. The hinge appears to be in an odd place, they had to cut it down to fit the shape. It is a hinge as appears on 20's made EK's so it is period, but could it be a replacement?

Edited June 17, 2007 by Daniel Murphy

[Daniel Murphy]

Side view. Whatever the verdict is on the pin, I still love it.

Edited June 17, 2007 by Daniel Murphy

[TerryG]

Nice one!

[Guest Rick Research]

I think Javier's from March (this thread has somehow eluded my attention) is probably the nicest one I've ever seen.

Yup, classic Otto Schickle, Dan-- "Creature from the Black Lagoon" gill slits neck, distinctly non-symmetrical feathers, and the round crotch which was punched out for swords on the 1921 types.

The eagles are almost always of indifferent quality at best. I had a Steinhauer & L?ck enamel 1st Class which was SO crappy on the reverse that I sold it years and years ago because I just couldn't stand looking at it. So I'm the opposite-- I dislike the enamel versions and prefer the blackened types.

Any enamel type is going to be a late 1920s++ "improvement" since they were never authorized, and I don't know how that fashion got started.

IF your catch has been replaced, it's been done very nicely-- keeping the original catch if it was. I think what you have is a "learrner" piece-- just the skill level of the person who put that one together. That was a LOT of work trimming out the hinge end on the HEAD instead of lower down, and I bet the person who made it wised up fairly soon and started making pieces that added up to more piece work RM at the end of each day. Nothing wrong with it at all.

[Noor]

Here is my two Silesian Eagles (thanks for ERIC )

Picture 1. I class is mayebauer:

Picture 2. II class is just stunning!

Edited June 21, 2007 by Noor

[Gaffken]

Guys--beautiful eagles; your examples really capture the wide variety of variations out there.

Dan--to echo Rick's comments, I like your hinge, too--very distinctive, and not something a faker would obviously go to lengths to accomplish.

Last year, I passed up an opportunity to purchase a 1st class with swords and oakleaves, and now I'm kind of kicking my self for doing so after viewing all of the nice examples here. Maybe subconsciously I was holding out for the mythical version with oakleaves, swords and diamonds...I'll never be quite sure!

Gaffken

[Eric K.]

sorry about the photo's of the eagles but this is as good as I can get with this camera, got these from my favorite "source" hahaha thanks again Christian!!!!!!!.... Oh yeah don't mind the other riff raff around those 2 beauties!!!!!

[dond]

Here is a new one for me.

[dond]

And the reverse. I'm currently reading the Nigel book. He has his moments where he grinds an axe but overall it is a good read on this little known period in time.

[Guest Rick Research]

You characters are a bad influence! A bad influence, I say!

Faced with the appalling gap in my collection for a 1st class, this one HAD to come home with me from today's show:

Based on tiny but significant feather details (the inner edge of the wing curve facing the back of the eagle's head, "Creature From The Black Lagoon" gill-neck, crotch and hip feathers) mine seems to match Les's in Post #9 , Mike K's upper left in Post #19, and Jens' in Post #40 as far as the obverse goes. But mine has no rivets. Instead, the back of mine is an exact match to the unenamelled one shown by Brian in Post #46.

From the style pin plate, 1930s or WW2.

There are as many variants and SUB-variants with these as for the Turkish War Medal stars!

I blame you. All of you. It isn't really my fault. I just HAD to have one.

[Paul R]

Nice pick up Rick!! Bet you are glad that you still went!

[nesredep]

Hi

Rick

Nice,congratulations.

Regards

Nesredep

[Dolfek]

Hi everyone,

This is my first Silesian Eagle 1st class. I guess made during the III Reich pediod.

Just wanted to share it with you all.

Regards,

Adolph.

Edited September 19, 2007 by Dolfek

[dond]

Ralph, here is the enlisted/cheap guys version of the very first Adler you posted (only in the 2d class version)

[Lancer21]

Does anyone know of any reason why the wearer might have the crossed swords pointed downward? I've recently seen examples of this on both the first and second class awards, see attached photos. I've not run across this until now and am somewhat perplexed because in heraldry, downward pointing swords is indicative of surrender or defeat, and I don't think that this would ever be rendered intentionally? Thank you for any information that you can provide.

[TerryG]

I do not own an eagle with swords but judging by the photo in the post above yours, it seems that the swords could be removed, so is it fair to assume that the previous owner of yours fitted replacements...???

[Eric K.]

I could be way off here, but I was told alooong time ago that upside down swords were to represent that the "war" was lost.

Eric

[dond]

I've seen those on ebay coming out of Austria. Here is the reverse. The seller is troedlerrosi

I have my doubts about these. He does seem to have an endless supply of them too.

Edited March 27, 2008 by dond

[Eric K.]

Here's a nice old ribbon bar that has seen better days, I like the Baltic cross tucked away in the end

[Eric K.]

A second class, It's hard to see in my great pics, but it looks like a die flaw that covers the "IE".