Bavaria Military Jubilee Medal w/Crown in Silver

[Indyarch]

I'm curious about this medal. It recently sold on ebay. Is it legit?

There is no mention of this medal having a silver version in the OEK.

Appreciate any information. Thanks

[Brian L.]

It does look like it might be a cast copy. But, I'd say that it's meant to be silver gilt and the gilt wash is faded.

[Indyarch]

Probably a cast copy then. According to OEK, there wasn't a silver gilt version. Only gilt brass and a gold neck version.

[Don D.]

Who was the seller?

[Indyarch]

kokor00 was the seller. I see he's on our list for having a bad medal bar once.

[Indyarch]

Since there is no mention of a silver version of this award in the OEK, is it safe to say this is a fantasy piece?

[Brian L.]

This seller is known for selling a lot of fakes.

[Don D.]

This seller is known for selling a lot of fakes.

I concur.

[Indyarch]

Well, that explains it.

It's pretty bad they're creating fake medals that didn't even exist and selling them as originals.

[Brian L.]

Well, that explains it.

It's pretty bad they're creating fake medals that didn't even exist and selling them as originals.

Not only that, there has been a significant industry for some time in cutting brand new dies for some awards and badges and selling the new strikes as original. Details almost always vary from any known true originals to which the fakers respond with the explanation, "It's a variation."

The most well-known of these fakers, or at least seller of new strikes is known among collectors as "the Club", from Aachen, Germany. I believe though that the actual manufacturing for "the Club" and other purveyors of these copies is done in Eastern Europe and Russia.

There's also a maker in Russia named Alexander Chickalov who made quite good collector copies that were never intended to deceive. He clearly marked them with his well-known mark that is easy to spot, if you know it. I don't know if he's still active. But, in any event, his pieces have passed through various hands and entered the collector's marketplace and now are being passed off by many as original.

[Wild Card]

Well, that explains it.

It's pretty bad they're creating fake medals that didn't even exist and selling them as originals.

This is nothing new (no pun intended). It has been going on for decades.

In recent years much of the higher end pieces have been produced in southeast asia.

[VtwinVince]

It's true, and in recent months I've noticed better fakes of Imperial orders coming out of China. This is not a good sign.

[tompress]

This seller and his stuff is well known on German forum. He's also mentioned here, in this thread:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=482701&page=6

regards
Tomasz

[Indyarch]

Yes, all these fakes stink. But creating one that didn't even exist is kind of brazen isn't it? I would hope collectors would do some research before buying.

[Brian L.]

This is nothing new (no pun intended). It has been going on for decades.

In recent years much of the higher end pieces have been produced in southeast asia.

It's funny. I live in SE Asia and have never seen any Imperial German orders and decorations of any kind, fake or real. They must all be made for export to Europe.

I have however seen lots of pre-Communist Chinese orders and decorations in the Thieves Market in Bangkok and in antique and junk shops in Penang, Hanoi and Singapore.