Mini Lapel Pour le Merite

[Bob Hritz]

This is one type I have not seen before. Is it a period piece?

The enamel work is on both sides with the loop for the button and ribbon device soldered to the reverse.

Bob Hritz

[Bob Hritz]

Verso

[Bob Hritz]

The best I could do showing reverse enamel and attachment of button/ribbon device.

Bob Hritz

[Bob Hritz]

Measurements:

Width 20.68 mm

Height 21.10 mm

Bob Hritz

[Brian S]

Curious is the silver in the bow metal or material? Personally this just looks all wrong... Nice Godet button though.

[regular122]

Bob,

These curious fellows have been flooding the market. I believe them to be Spanish fakes that are being attached to legitimate Godet EK2 knopfloche. I have even seen cases where they are adding them to a standard EK2 / HC knopfloch.

Here are a couple of examples of what known Godet pieces should look like. They come in two types, but on the second type, I will defer to Ralph A. or Marshall if we can urge them to show their fine mini examples.

The pics below show the crowned head type with the broader arms.

#1 von Bockelberg's cased Godet Mini (from eMedals)

[regular122]

An unnamed similar piece:

[regular122]

A pic of a Spanish full-sized fake PlM with minis to compare by.

Hope this helps and I would welcome any counters to my assessment. I am with Brian on this one and believe the stubby eagle types to be from Spain. Steve

[gregM]

The problem I see with this mini is the wedge for the ring
attachment. I do not think Godet would mount a mini that was
designed to be suspended from a button or chain directly to
a button. OF COARSE I may be wrong but why would they do that
when they had the ability to do it correctly.

Heer is a scan from a 1934 Godet catalog. Notice that the mini
does NOT have the wedge for the jump ring.

[regular122]

And it is interesting Greg that those minis in the Godet catalogue look like the Bockelberg and unnamed pieces as well with the crowned heads. Steve

[Biro]

Bob

I'm 100% in agreement with the others. This is a cheap knock-off mini PLM attatched to a (probably) genuine Godet button hole device.

The suspension loop (as Greg pointed out) is totally erroneous when mounted in this fashion. It should be as below.

Even on mini's, the enamel and detailing - while not being spectacular - is certainly much better than the example you have posted.

Marshall

[Bob Hritz]

Thank you all for your help and comments. The owner will be sadly dissapointed. I know he has had it for about 20 years.

Upon careful examination, it is apparant that the band that held the badge had broken and now the badge is glued(?) to the front of the band. The badge is a lot larger than the tiny minis that have been popping up. However, I have to agree that the enamel work is certainly not up to the atandards I would like to see. The ribbon has metallic wire edging, blended with silk or rayon strands.

So, back to California it flies.

Bob Hritz

[regular122]

Bob,

Here are four different examples of the Spanish fake minis finding their way onto Godet buttons. I am guessing they are from Spain because of the metals and enamels matching the full-sized Spanish fakes. All of these I think were eBay offerings.

#1
What appears to be a legit EK2 / HC Godet Knopfloch with a very poor drill hole and the ring is mashed to 'flatten' it out to accept the ring. Pitiful.

[regular122]

#2 - A better attempt but what appears to be a synthetic wire on the ribbon and a very 'bogus' '800' mark added to the button. My guess is that this was a Godet HC button originally. Also note the missing pie wedge at the top. Most of these fakes have them but not all.

[regular122]

#3 The most common one and one that matches your friend's near identical piece. Note the very poor enamel on this one. Most of these fakes have pot holes and uneven surfaces. But the stubby eagle is the most obvious quick check give away.