Who is manufacturer 'KO' on 1914 EKs?

[wrongplanet67]

Is manufacturer 'KO' as seen on both 1914 EK1s and EK2s the Königliches Münzamt Orden or Klein & Quenzer?

Usually Klein & Quenzer Idar Oberstein is mentioned, but less frequently Königliches Münzamt Orden Berlin.

Thanks for your advice.

[vonStubben]

Königliches Münzamt Orden Berlin.

[gregM]

Königliches Münzamt Orden Berlin.

Most people believe that it is Klein and Quezner. There have been several
discussions about this topic . Here is one such thread.-----

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ighlight=Klein

Be sure to follow the link in the thread to the GMIC forum.

[Don D.]

Königliches Münzamt Orden Berlin.

I never understood how KO could stand for that.

And if we are being technically correct I believe it was Klein of Oberstein at the time.

[wrongplanet67]

I read that the jury still is undecided.

Klein Oberstein or Kling Orden or Königliches (Münzamt) Orden? Nobody really seems to know although KO made about 1,5 million iron crosses.

And ugly ones as I read in one comment contrary to the nice 1939 crosses by Klein & Quenzer.

[vonStubben]

"And ugly ones as I read in one comment contrary to the nice 1939 crosses by Klein & Quenzer."

This is very true. And I stand firm in my belief that K&Q had nothing to do with making KO crosses.

[Miro O]

"And ugly ones as I read in one comment contrary to the nice 1939 crosses by Klein & Quenzer."

This is very true. And I stand firm in my belief that K&Q had nothing to do with making KO crosses.

I see your firm belief restricted you from following the link to GMIC and checking the K&Q history.

The very true is that Klein or Quenzer had nothing to do with 1939 crosses.

Quenzer died in 1917, Klein in 1940 as an old man, when company K&Q was already AG (Aktiengesselschaft) led by Robert Stein and Alfons Schmidt.

When AG was founded, Klein became just shareholder and his small jewelry company was changed to big producer employing 300 workers.
Together with this radical change, the quality standards were surely raised as well.

[tompress]

Königliches Münzamt Orden Berlin.

No maker with this name has existed in WW1 period. Old Royal Mint became 1871 Preussische Staatsmünze (Prussian State Mint) and none German sources mention them as Iron Cross maker. Main production of PSM were coins, but also some medals were manufactured there, like Crown Order Medal, Life Saving Medal etc.

Besides, ordering, production and distribution of Iron Crosses during the World War 1 is really well described in Frank Wernitz book (available also in English).

regards
Tomasz

[wrongplanet67]

Is ‘KO 800’ the same maker with only the silver content added?

[Brian R]

Yes

[Elmar Lang]

Hello,

many years ago, talking to the late Ernst Blass in Gunzenhausen, he told me that the "KO" means "Kabinetts-Ordre", struck on crosses made by the Preuß. Münzamt.


Whatever could be said about Mr. Blass, he had a deep knowledge in the field of phaleristic of the former German states...

[Inspector Krogh]

Besides, ordering, production and distribution of Iron Crosses during the World War 1 is really well described in Frank Wernitz book (available also in English).

regards
Tomasz[/QUOTE]

+1

[Green]

No maker with this name has existed in WW1 period. Old Royal Mint became 1871 Preussische Staatsmünze (Prussian State Mint) and none German sources mention them as Iron Cross maker. Main production of PSM were coins, but also some medals were manufactured there, like Crown Order Medal, Life Saving Medal etc.

Besides, ordering, production and distribution of Iron Crosses during the World War 1 is really well described in Frank Wernitz book (available also in English).

regards
Tomasz

There was a Königliches Münzamt abt. Orden Stuttgard. I believe they also made Iron crosses K.M. or K.M.S.T. But I am not sure.

[tompress]

There was a Königliches Münzamt abt. Orden Stuttgard. I believe they also made Iron crosses K.M. or K.M.S.T. But I am not sure.

Certainly, Königliches Münzamt Stuttgart is well known as Iron Cross maker - and maker many other orders (also before WW1). But it was mint of Wurttemberg and had nothing to do with Prussian State Mint in Berlin

Also Königl. Bayerisches Hauptmünzamt in Munich has produced some medals (like PSM in Berlin) but orders were made by 5 big private manufacturers (Deschler, Weiss, Hemmerle, Lauer, Leser).