Some time ago I became interested in the so-called "wideframe" 1870 EK2. They are commonly believed to have been made "after 1900" and are thought to have been Jubilee replacement crosses. Many nice examples are shown in this thread.
Looking through my own crosses for a similar core, I believe I found one, and think it's now possible to put a maker and a possible period of manufacture to these crosses.
Below is the obverse of an 1870 "wideframe" EK2:
Here is the reverse:
'
Now, below is the reverse of another cross. The measurements are the same as the 1870 "wideframe." In my opinion, so is the core. And, while this may not be apparent in the photos, the frame details are also identical. Same cross-hatched inner-beading corners, same bead count, same jump ring lug:
Now, here is the obverse of the second cross:
This is a 1914-series replacement cross made during the Third Reich by the firm Juncker.
It is widely known that there was some minimal production of 1870-series EKs during both WWI and WWII. Examples may be seen in period catalogues. I believe the "wideframe" 1870 EK2 to have been manufactured by Juncker, most probably during the Third Reich. This would explain the frame's dimensions, for one thing.
One point of interest is that the crown on the obverse of the 1870-series EK2 is a very good match for the crown on the reverse of the same cross, whereas the crown on the obverse of the 1914-series EK2 is quite different from it's reverse (which is the same as the 1870 reverse). This leads me to wonder if perhaps the 1870-series core was designed first, and then -- later -- the 1914-series core obverse was designed (perhaps by a different hand) and paired with the same die used to strike the 1870 core reverse. This leaves open the possibility that the 1870 core itself was designed earlier than WWI, although this doesn't explain the Third Reich-era frame dimensions. Overall, I think this is still a bit of a mystery, but I believe we can be reasonably confident that these are Juncker pieces.
Looking through my own crosses for a similar core, I believe I found one, and think it's now possible to put a maker and a possible period of manufacture to these crosses.
Below is the obverse of an 1870 "wideframe" EK2:
Here is the reverse:
'Now, below is the reverse of another cross. The measurements are the same as the 1870 "wideframe." In my opinion, so is the core. And, while this may not be apparent in the photos, the frame details are also identical. Same cross-hatched inner-beading corners, same bead count, same jump ring lug:
Now, here is the obverse of the second cross:
This is a 1914-series replacement cross made during the Third Reich by the firm Juncker.
It is widely known that there was some minimal production of 1870-series EKs during both WWI and WWII. Examples may be seen in period catalogues. I believe the "wideframe" 1870 EK2 to have been manufactured by Juncker, most probably during the Third Reich. This would explain the frame's dimensions, for one thing.
One point of interest is that the crown on the obverse of the 1870-series EK2 is a very good match for the crown on the reverse of the same cross, whereas the crown on the obverse of the 1914-series EK2 is quite different from it's reverse (which is the same as the 1870 reverse). This leads me to wonder if perhaps the 1870-series core was designed first, and then -- later -- the 1914-series core obverse was designed (perhaps by a different hand) and paired with the same die used to strike the 1870 core reverse. This leaves open the possibility that the 1870 core itself was designed earlier than WWI, although this doesn't explain the Third Reich-era frame dimensions. Overall, I think this is still a bit of a mystery, but I believe we can be reasonably confident that these are Juncker pieces.
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