1870 EKII pleease...

[RRSAND]

I'm just starting my collection, and i have some 1914 EK's i have no doubts about, but this 1870...well, i don't know...And i would really appreciate some help!
The core rattles a lot, and the black finish (at least at the obverse) is almost gone, as well as some details (the crown, for example).
The frame parts are starting to separate.

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/2584/p1000378sd4.jpg
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/1941/p1000382fy6.jpg

Thank you in advance!

[gregM]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I do not get a good feeling
about this cross. The overall lack of detail is my main concern. I have seen cores that the details have worn away and I have seen frames with
really worn beading. This one was really poor frame beading on the entire
cross. Another thing is the poorly formed numbers in the date.

[Steve Campbell]

What would a good version of one of these cost and where would you find one? You never see them offered.

[gregM]

I would try some of the more reputable dealerssuch as - Detlov, Weitze, Winkler,Shea . Weitze has a few on his site right now that start at
450 Euro and go up from there.

[RRSAND]

Many thanks for your help! I had a bad feeling about it too...
Don't worry about the bad news, they're not so bad because the cross is not mine (and it seems like it is never going to be)...

Thanks again!

[medalnet]

Here is a real one made by Sy & Wagner. Soon to be exibited at OMSA in Scottsdale, AZ.

[Tony & Kaiser]

On early originals, the date is quite "stuffed into" that space and they are not well formed, but the detail remains quite sharp. On what is generally accepted to be the original issued 1870 EK2 shown above, the dates have a similar shape, but the edges are quite sharp. Note the flat "8" without cross-over.

What is most easily identified on an issued original in my opinion, is the shape of the crown, also shown above. 1870 EK2 made in later years such as for the centennial etc, have standard crowns similar to a 1914 EK. The one show in the previous post by medalnet with maker mark on the ring, more modern looking crown and crossed "8" in the date is generally accepted to be the centennial version from around 1896. This makes it no-less a very nice original, just a little later issue which is not at all unusual in the evolution of EK.












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[gregM]

Speaking of ugly dates --The date on these crosses looks like someone really screwed up in the design BUT this is a accepted cross attributed
to Godet.

[gregM]

Here is a better shot of the date