III. Marine-Brigade Loewenfeld Group

[Brian L.]

A recent eBay purchase. A scarce Freikorps Ordensspange with the EKII, late war zinc Baden Military Merit Medal, Silesian Eagle II and Loewenfeld Cross II together with the Loewenfeld Cross I.

Although the 1st class crosses are not that scarce, the 2nd class, especially on bars is hard to find.

[Don D.]

Can we please see the reverses.

[Brian L.]

I actually don't have the group in hand yet. But, the seller sent me several detail pics. The Freikorps had 1500 men. But, the exact number of 1st and 2nd class crosses issued is unclear. I've never seen a document for a 2nd class (3 months service). I own 2 award docs and they are both for (as written) 1/2 year service (i.e. 1st class cross). In all my years of collecting, I've seen perhaps 5 or 6 2nd class crosses and have owned 3 of those. But, I've seen and owned several 1st class crosses. I suspect the reason for the scarcity of the 2nd class was that most of the men bypassed the 2nd class because they got the document for the 1st class only, and although eligible for the 2nd class, maybe opted only to buy the 1st class. Recipients received only the award doc and had to buy their own awards.

No variations were made with the exception of at least one known 1st class modified as a screw-back. The cross was issued only from 1920-1922 and only struck once.

The odd thing about this 2nd class is that the maker's mark is not in the center as usual, but sideways on the lower arm. It's not a red flag IMO. It was a Friday or a Monday morning and the finisher was drunk, sleepy,new on the job or whatever and put the cross in the wrong position under the stamp.

[Destruction]

Very nice group, Brian!
Nothing is wrong with maker's mark, here is a wrong-positioned one on the 1st class cross.

[Brian L.]

Very nice group, Brian!
Nothing is wrong with maker's mark, here is a wrong-positioned one on the 1st class cross.

Maybe done by the same guy!!!

[Don D.]

Very nice catch Brian.

[Brian L.]

Very nice catch Brian.

Thanks Don. Now I'm looking for an Iron Division medal bar - a bit of a Holy Grail. But, one never knows.

[vellocino]

Never seen it before, great piece!
Thanks for sharing it.
Vellocino

[mchap]

Excellent catch, congrats!!
With a bit of patience a Baltic bar with your name on it will surface.

It appears we have 3 variants of makers mark for a v. Loewenfeld cross found on both 1st and 2nd class? Two have been posted here, and the third would be:

[Brian L.]

I'm happy I rescued this. Although, I have thought that just to be thorough, I should examine it under an electron microscope and subject it to a laser and a blow-torch just to make sure it isn't made of Hershey's chocolate.

I hear that this is THE ONLY WAY to determine if it's real or not.

[mchap]

Any self respecting collector knows its better to confirm material and construction through use of a blowtorch, then analyzing the resulting blob through a microscope.

Lowbrow history win....