I've never seen this mark before. Has anybody else run across a '9' or '6' maker? There are some markings next to this that I thought might be '800', but I'm not so sure after looking at the magnified view.
--Kevin
--Kevin
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Looks like a '9' and '800' to me as well. The marks are usually read from the inside of the loop rather than from the outside.
Is it 42mm or 44mm wide? If larger, then it makes sense that the 9 is the LDO mark for Liefergsmainschaft of Pforzheim. Even if smaller, it could be a post war TR made piece with a surplus frame. My thoughts anyway. Nice cross. SteveComment
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Thanks for your reply Steve. The cross is 44mm wide. Are you saying that 42mm crosses are generally post-war? I hadn't heard that, but then again, I'm not a hardcore cross collector by any stretch of the imagination.
Regards,
KevinComment
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Kevin, The 1914 EK2 was made from 1914 until at least 1945. Since the cross is 44mm it was made after 1939. This does not make it bad. It was made during the second war rather then first.Imperial German Medalbars and RibbonbarsComment
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I've never heard of "9" as a maker for a 1939 version EK 2. Here's the mark for a 1939 "6" though.GeorgeComment
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Wouldn't the number be preceeded with the L/ designation for commercial sales if it was LDO related? It certainly couldn't be an official award piece as the 1914 would be obsolete as a government award after the mid 1920s.
TonyAn opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it.
"First ponder, then dare." von MoltkeComment
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1914 EK2s were available for replacement during WW2 and some were marked with LDO numbers and the official award numbers. I have seen on this forum a 4 marked EK2, and I have an L/57 EK2 in my collection. I would thinkSteve just made a minor mistake by saying 6 or 9 was an LDO number.Comment
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Kevin,
By post-war, I meant post-WWI. Sorry for the confusion.
As to the L in front of the number, well I have seen many numbered rings without an L of any kind in the TR period. As to the number 9, I defer to those who collect TR. Liefergsmainschaft of Pforzheim was the owner of '9' and did make EKs I believe but could be mistaken. George's '6' also reads from 'inside' the ring vice 'outside.' That was what I was referring to there. But is also has the TR period 'block' around the number. Maybe there was a WWI maker that just had 9? I thought most were lettered maker stamps, eg. KO, KAG, Fr.
The larger cross frame could account for a TR period make. Smaller could have been a surplus Imperial frame in the TR period. Since this is a larger cross, then the 9 makes sense to be a Pforzheim, TR period make. Great thread and I welcome any corrections of course as I am not vastly familiar with the maker '9', only general patterns encountered in Imperial EK2s. SteveComment
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