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Iron cross first class is fake, poor detail and artificial ageing. Iron Cross 2nd class looks OK the maker mark is for Hermann Aurich of Dresden

Here is the Iron Cross Second Class award. As mentioned above, this was purchased from an online seller around 1998/99. The award document was included with the purchase - for whatever that is worth, but no provenance was provided outside of that. Maker's mark stamped in ring - "113". The center is magnetic. The black paint is immaculate on both sides, and the ribbon looks like it was made yesterday. Again, any help verifying the authenticity is appreciated.

Greetings all, I'm hoping someone can help me verify the authenticity of an Iron Cross First Class and Iron Cross Second Class. Both were purchased from online dealers around 1998/1999. I did not retain the seller info. Both items have been in climate-controlled storage for the past 24 years, and the condition is the same as when originally purchased. I'll start with the First Class award. No documentation or case was included in the purchase, and no provenance was provided. The center is magnetic.

Jeg er en norsk våpensamler . Ser dere diskuterer Sten-Gun . Her i Norge har de akkurat vedtatt en lov som tillater samlere å inneha inntil 5 helautomatiske våpen . Jeg har akkurat registrert denne . den kom i flyslipp fra Engeland sent i 1944 , til den norske motstandsbevegelsen .

This topic is a bit older, but here is a list of the 36 survivors picked up by the RN destroyers after Scharnhorst's sinking at North Cape: MaschOGfr Johann Achilles MtrOGfr Wilhelm Alsen MtrOGfr Helmut Backhaus MtrGfr Rudi Birke MtrOGfr Günther Bohle MtrGfr Helmut Bökhoff MaschOGfr Helmut Feifer OMaat Wilhelm Gödde MtrOGfr Heinz Grönewond MtrGfr Fritz Hager MtrHGfr Wilhelm Hövedesbrunken OBtsm Johann Kastenholz MtrGfr Wilhelm Köster SteurmnGfr Wilhelm Kruse MaschOGfr Franz Laiß MtrGfr Gerhard Lobin Btsm Heinrich Löffelholz Mtr Günther Lorke MaschOGfr Franz Marko MechGfr Johann "Johnny" Merkle MtrOGfr Heinz Pfeil MtrHGfr Max Rauschert MechGfr Ernst Reimann MtrOGfr Max Schäfer MaschOGfr Paul Schaffrath Maat Franz Scherer MtrOGfr Hermann Schütz MaschHGfr Hans Steiniganz MtrOGfr Günter Sträter MtrOGfr Hans Trzebiatowski ZimOGfr Martin Wallek MtrOGfr Nikolaus Wiebusch MechGfr Johann Wiest MtrOGfr Hubert Witte MaschHGfr Rolf Zanger MechGfr Horst Zaubitzer Sources are: historisches-marinearchiv.de, Eric Grove's German Surface Raiders 1942-1944 from Scharnhorst to Tirpitz, and corroborating photos online of the signature card mentioned above, and a Scharnhorst survivors reunion card. (the card mentioned above includes signatures of 32 of the 36 survivors, plus Admiral Fraser's and Admiral Burnett's)

1918 Map of Vaux showing buildings and strest. Contour interval 10 M. I just received an interesting WW I, Battle of Belleau Wood, the French Village of Vaux Post card form a vet that he brought home and marked locations on the card and made notations on the rear. Unfortunately, I do not have the soldiers name. It must have been sent home in a letter because it is not stamped or post marked. When I saw this for sale I had to own it . This is a picture prior to shelling the fieldstone French built houses. The city of Vaux was recaptured by the second Division around 2 July 1918. Combat actions in and nearby the village area took place around 1-3 July 1918. Some references: http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/ct_vaux.htm The Post Card notations; + Cliffs I wrote of & caves ++ Where I slept for 17 days . The other night I slept in an attic too low & dark to be seen. +++ Three places we drilled over: mud and water, and rain, water and mud. ( 3 sets of +++ marks on card) "Will I ever say a good word about this place, Ha" Auction photos of my purchased card, nice close up views of the front and reverse. Here is a card view of the Village of Vaux after shelling. A more normal Post card find. Aerial view ca. 1919 of Vaux is shown below. Source with some information see: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/94343/untitled-aerial-view-of-ruined-town-vaux What an album to find. At least it was saved and preserved as art& history. https://archive.artic.edu/steichen/category/world-war-i-album/index.html

I never noticed for years either. Most of these early type medals were issued to officers (they're "scarce" to offices, probably quite "rare" to find issued to other ranks), unless you collect heavily to officers and even then, the difference is easily missed. It's really just a manufacturing difference, once you start to notice the difference it can can be spotted quite quickly. I actually quite like the dull brown issues, they tie in with the original idea of how the Inter Allied Medal should have looked and they don't look out of place sitting alongside a French, Belgian or Czech etc Victory medal. I picked up a couple of other 1st types the past week or so, one to an officer, the other one perhaps a bit rarer(?) to a private, harder to find and with the bonus that his service papers survive along with his signed for War & Victory Medal receipt which is dated within in the timeframe of 1st type Victory Medal issue. The actual struck design of the medal, the figure of Victory and the text on the reverse is exactly the same on the 1st type issue and the 2nd type medal issue so I guess they used the same striking dies for both the 1st and the 2nd issue types, only the medal finish and suspension attachment altering. Pic attach of the two recent 1st type Victory medal buys also a near mint 2nd type Victory to show the difference plus an original Royal Mint die as used for striking the design detail on both types of medal.

Thanks, now to find a decent scabbard, that might be a tough one...

Hello AlexR, hopefully you did not spend too much on those. It really does pay off to do your research, you can always ask the forum members before purchasing.

Here is another Fuse used on the Stokes. This is the service pattern timed fuse head.

Hi Harry, if you are near the shop we could sell them on consignment for you.

Other than the dreaded Fleabay, where's the best place to try and sell Delprado miniatures, please?

Here is a British No 146 Mark IV fuse. This was a percussion spigot "always" fuse that was introduced in 1917 and discontinued in 1949 with 7 marks being developed.

Early war image of a French soldier from the 152 infantry. He is armed with the Fusil Gras mle 1874 or Chassepot Fusil modèle 1866, the rifles are virtually identical based upon exterior appearance. The rifle is equipped with the French Model 1866 Yataghan Sword Bayonet. In WW1, large amounts of obsolete weapons were used in training roles and for rear guard units.

Thank you very much.

Hi Alex, I'm afraid these are copies, the Spanish cross was not enameled or screw backed not official issues anyway, but other than that the quality is just not there.

Hi. I recently bought small group of ww2 German medals from the family, but I have my reservations. I sure hope to get educated opinion. Thanks Alex

Never seen one at a gun show in the US. Very nice find.

Here is my newly acquired Enlisted Interim or Dress Prussian Cavalry Sword M1889. It has a folding hand guard and Bakelite grip. There are faint traces of engraving work on the blade but it is too light to capture adequately. The hand guard and metal parts associated with the handle are Nickle plated, the folding hand guard had a crest for the various German states.

I just spotted this WW1 Pension Card for your man, Angus McLeod, in the "Fold3" section of Ancestry (you may already have it?). It looks like the card's dated 1925 so I guess Angus must have been awarded a post-war pension for wounds or debilitating illness received on duty. The card shows his two Army Cyclist Corps numbers, also a Highland Light Infantry service number, 1772.

I was lucky and found 20 detached post cards from an unidentified Chateau Thierry WW I post card booklet produced by Levy Fils & Cie, (LL) marked from Letellier, Paris. Most cards are views of the destroyed city, but two are cemetery scenes I already owned. But the great finds are a scene of Vaux and two views of Hill 204. One shows two shell craters each ten meters across, while the other the other is a view from the top of Hill 204 looking down slope. Another interesting card is of the base of a German platform for Bertha that was firing on Paris in July of 1918. This is a slightly different view of the first I showed. I have shown the back of the post cards -all are the same because they came from a single souvenir post card booklet. The LL marked booklets are more difficult to find. The best part, they only cost a buck each! Interesting views of Hill 204. Hill 204 is just east of Vaux, sort of located between Chateau Thierry and Vaux, but closer to Vaux. The town of Vaux The back of the cards and the LL mark.

Here is a recent Victory lamp that was tastefully redone. Very nice. A better restoration, even though not a correct socket, it is vintage and fits well with the look. The tag is present and a cloth cord. Well worth $200-250, but at $650 it's steep and someone is a dreamer.... An example of what can be found at high end markets. The owner is a store called the Antique Spot and these are their photos. Notice the lamp's patina is maintained and the lamp finial is ingenious. I like it.

Hi Robb, keep an eye on my website, I don't have any at the moment but we usually have them in stock and all have a life time guarantee www.treasurebunker.com

Hi Kenny, Thanks for your thoughts, I can definitely see it now, with the S1, amazing I did not notice that before.. The thought of owning a real cross has now been stuck with me, since I bought this one, so I will properly see my self trying to buy another (hopefully a real one :-)) at some point. If you have any recommendations for any trusted auction houses/places to buy such items then I am all ears. Or if you have any tips on how to avoid being fooled once again at the local garage sale. Thanks again for your time.

Hi Rob, just the basic construction, the quality is not there, the maker mark also looks like S1 rather than 51 which would be the maker mark for Eduard Goriach & Sohne, Gablonz/N who unfortunately did not make First class Iron crosses. I believe these crosses are coming out of Poland.