Polish medal help needed

[andya]

Hi
I am posting this here as I have found that there are a few members here who really know there Polish stuff. I picked this up as part of a lot of items from a UK auction house and would appreciate some help. Firstly,is it original? Next, can you let me know its age and issue criteria or point me to a site with this information? Finally, if original has it any value. I ask this as I intend to sell it on if original and I have no idea as to the value
thanks
andy

[andya]

rear

rear

[leigh kitchen]

Until the people who really know what they're talking about pop up & tell you exactly what this is at a moments glance, check out this link - lots of photos of the manufacturing variations:

http://home.golden.net/~medals/virtuti.html

[andya]

Thanks Leigh, thats a great site. If it is original, it looks like the pre war issue going by the suspension. I shall wait for the experts opinions.Many thanks
andy

[Billy B]

Could you post a picture of the center

[Antoni Zawadzki]

Hi Andy,

I am also no expert, but I hate to say that this 5th Class Virtuti Militari cross has a decidedly modern look and feel about it. This is most evident in the ‘heaviness’ of the construction and the detailing. The craftsmanship of eagle in the center, the apparent unevenness of the background field, along with the other components just doesn’t have the refined look and feel of the pre-war and wartime issues, and is very much in keeping with post war production.

The suspension system is not a reliable means of verifying the period of manufacture as all systems are employed in reproductions and current issues.

The VM has been reproduced en masse in the last 50 years. It’s safe to say that for every authentic pre-war one (whether that be a government issue of a jeweler’s replacement), there are 20 + post war copies.

Having said all that, there were numerous pre-war makers and it remains possible that this is indeed a very clean pre-war issue, although all indicators are that it is not.

I am curious as to what the auction house had to say about this decoration. What other items was it grouped with? Are you able to determine the authenticity of the other items? Were they all Polish items? Perhaps a clue could be gleaned in here somewhere.

Regards,

Tony