Black paint on Iron Cross frames

[Peter Wiking]

Hi there.
I have an Iron Cross 1 class, L15 (original) with sprayed black paint coming up on the frame. A realy nice original Iron Cross 2 class at the E-stand show the same type of paint coming up on the frame.
Did they forget to paint the cores at the asembly, or was it simply a touch up done before leaving the factory ? I´m here talking about the 3 part constructed crosses.

Thanks.
Peter Wiking

[Skipper Greenwade]

Hi Peter,

While anything is possible, generally whenever this has come upon the Forum in the past, it's actually darkening caused by air that has penetrated the finish on the silver frame.

Skip

[Peter Wiking]

The paint i´m talking about is all the way around. Not just random spots. It grows from the core and up, about 0.5 to 0.75 mm. I have seen that on several crosses. Both first class and second class crosses. All the crosses has been original.

A wild idea. We have talked about that close after the war, for homing GI´s, some Knight Crosses and other awards could have been made for a very short while. Could these crosses have been touched up a bit and then sold to GI´s ?

Cheers. Going to bed now. See you in the morning.
Peter Wiking

[JerryW]

106 EK2s

I have seen 4 examples of EK2s marked "106" that all have paint on the frames.

[George Stimson]

Make it five

My "106" does as well.

[Peter Wiking]

Interesting.

Cheers.
Peter Wiking

[Patrick W]

I have a Deumer EK2 that came on an original sample board that has paint on the frames on both sides. It is unissued and still retains the frosting to the beading on the back. No touching up or repainting there, this is how it came out of the factory.


Patrick

[Peter Wiking]

Many good books has been written on the Iron Cross, but is this documented anywhere ?

Thanks.
Peter Wiking

[MH184]

I've a couple like that too, a 106, 4, and my round 3 to a degree.


The 106 however really does look like paint on the beading, the other two could be the 'air penetration' in the silver ?

Kind regards,

Marcus

[David C]

Here's my 113. Super mint and overspray on the frames back and front.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ad.php?t=42868

Cheers,
David.

[atcase]

Hi All,
This `paint on frames` has been noticed more just recently (could be coincedence !) because in an earlier thread i asked the the person presenting his E.K.2 if the core had been repainted due to what i saw as `paint on the frame`
even though the vendor stated that the core had not beed touched up the photos certainly gave that impression ??
Any more comments

Ashley

[Peter Wiking]

Here's my 113. Super mint and overspray on the frames back and front.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ad.php?t=42868

Cheers,
David.

Yes, i have just ordered a cross like that with maker 113. Absolute mint with black color coming up on the frame.
Is it possible that some crosses got their cores damage during the soldering and had to be touched up a bit ?

Crosses with "spray painted black" frames as far as i know:
1 class:
L15
26

2 class:
106
113



Cheers.
Peter Wiking

[David C]

Is it possible that some crosses got their cores damage during the soldering and had to be touched up a bit ?

The core of mine is loose. Loose enough for you to see that it is bare metal under the frame. Therefore it is clear that it wasn't painted before assembly.

As unlikely as it sounds, the 113s appear to have been sprayed post assembly.

Cheers,
David.

[Peter Wiking]

1 class:
L15
26

2 class:
106
113
Any more crosses out there with sprayed black paint on the frame ?

Cheers.
Peter Wiking

[Kecon]

Peter

I don't really believe this is black paint we are seeing. It looks very
much like the same tarnish like discoloration that infects the outer
flanges of many of these minty EKs'. It is the start of these minty
crosses that for some turn all black. I know you've seen a few like
that before. My L15 has a few spots of this black both on the inner
and outer sections of the beaded edges. The same type and black
color that is starting to infect the outer flanges. This black starts
out as a few light areas and then seemingly spreads like a disease.
Just my observations. Check the black areas on the flanges of my
L15. Looks like black paint but is not.

Ken