Who Buys this Crap?

[The Dragon]

He's a member here? Who is it?

Well Don, allegedly he is.

Andy Beal from www.uk-militaria.com

[McCulloh]

When he still was in business, probably yes. But know thet he disappreared, try to get your money back for e.g. "late" Steinhauer & Lück knights crosses or Juncker Oaks with swords to the knights cross '39...

yup- just as some predicted. Gotta give prosper his due.

[streptile]

The only way to attack the problem, I think, is to point the authorities in the direction of someone actively manufacturing trinkets adorned with the swastika.

This is highly illegal in Germany.

It wouldn't help us Imperial collectors, but it may take him out of business. But for something like that to work, someone would need to mount an investigation, and catch the fakers in their workshops, or something similar.

[Don D.]

I would think tax fraud would be a better angle. I bet he doesn't claim it only costs him $2 a badge which he sells for $300.

[ubisacco]

Hi there,
i knew personally from a dealer, that Staegmeier showed him his "shop". And there lies the explanation of the cuality of his fakes: mostly made with the galvanoplastic technique. It has much from art but makes fakes anyway. Beyond that he invited this dealer to sell his fakes, so to disguise the origin.

[Tim B.]

Hi there,

i knew personally from a dealer, that Staegmeier showed him his "shop". And there lies the explanation of the cuality of his fakes: mostly made with the galvanoplastic technique. It has much from art but makes fakes anyway. Beyond that he invited this dealer to sell his fakes, so to disguise the origin.

That's very interesting on the manufacturing point you made. I was looking at a silver wound badge the other day in a local antinque shop. It was marked 127 and I immediately suspected it was fake as the patina was modern looking. When I looped it, I noticed someone had taken small chuncks out of the edge and just above the swastika. In all cases, it shows this plastic looking (beige colored) material with a silver metal looking coating layered over it.

I didn't have a camera with me but if I go back will pretend to be interested and try to get some close-ups of this. Think it will prove interesting.

Tim

[ubisacco]

Hi Tim,
the galvanoplastic is a procedure in which a original is used to make a kind of Mold. This Mold is covered with a paint or powder (containing Graphite or copper) to make its inner surface able to conduct electricity. The mold itself is usually made of mold-wax (used just once) or high fluidity Silicon (at least 20-30 high detailed uses).
After preparing the mold you need to submerge it in the electrolyte and start depositing metal on the treated surfae: for hours --> high cuality work is made with lower current insuming mooooooore time.
AND HERE the strange color you saw:
The first layer ! you want it to be firm AND good conducting and not too expensive: Copper. Usually the following layers form intermetallic combinations. Thats the yellow, red, pink, beige or grey color you find on these fakes. Depending on the kind of metal used in the core.
This technique has been widely used to fake rare / expensive antique coins.

[VtwinVince]

Correct Tim, I have a couple of Greek coins produced using this process, and they are quite convincing.

[Tim B.]

Thanks for the additional info guys!

Once I get back over that way and get some PIC's of the badge, providing its still there, I'll post it here and in the Wound badge Forum.

It might turn out to be beneficial to post it in the Collector's Community Forum as well. Always good to show as much as possible for other collectors to fall back on. Perhaps I can even get a weight on it.

Best!
Tim