Case for medal

[Ron C.]

Moving things in my basement to do some work on it, I found this. Is this thing anything or just a piece of junk. I know it is not WW2, but did they make any cases for 57 awards out of plastic like this. I think when I was stationed in Germany I picked up a War Service Cross that I didn't look at real close when I bought it, and found that it didn't have a swastika in the center, but I think a 1939 or something like that. It may have been in a case somewhat like this one, but I don't know if this is the case. I don't think that I sold the medal.......nobody wanted it because it didn't have the swastika.......but I am not sure where I stuck it. It was nice and heavy......but would it be of any value, or a waste of time looking for it? Sorry for the bad picture, it was just a quick "record shot".

Ron

[Mian_Tang]

Hello, I am not an expert on cases, but this is indeed a common plastic case for 1957 awards, also it's interesting that the case has paper padding, so I assume it could be a pretty early ones, but not as early as the first production of the 1957 awards. Just my opinion though.

[DavidM]

Hello

It's a generic 1957 case, used to house DKs, EKs and KVKs. This is one of the slightly earlier ones of the plastic types as it has a 'proper' lower insert and foam layer within the lid. The later ones use foam in the top and bottom.

The chronology of the 57 cases is, as I understand it, the very earliest EK1s, and KVKs came in war time made halbetui style cases, which are identical in size etc to each other and are unmarked. The DKs came in halbetui style cases as well, made from war time parts, and nearly identical to the very late war DK halbetui cases. Then came cases made in the same manner as war time ones, but hinged and with catches. These tend to be UV negative, but can be distinguished from their war time counterparts. These tend not have any outlines of the award on them. Next came the plastic cases, again with no outlines of the award on them. Finally we have the more modern cases, made to look like their WW2 counterparts, and which tend to have an outline of the award on the case.


As far as I am aware the plastic cases started appearing sometime in the 1970's, possibly the early 1970's.

Regards
David

[Ron C.]

Thanks......that would seem to fit, since I was in the 8th ID in Germany from 1973 to 1976. Maybe I should look for the KVK, if the thing would be worth looking for....about what would be a fair price for the thing with the case......it was in very good condition? By fair, I mean both to a buyer and to me.

Ron

[DavidM]

Hello

Yes, it's worth finding the KVK that you got with the case. The value will, as with any area of collecting, depend on several factors, which until the KVK is found and photos posted of it, cannot be determined.

Regards
David

[Seewolf]

In the same case i got my Deschler DKiG
Hope it was added later to the case because we always thought the DK has a earlier date of manufacture than this case. But about 15 years difference ?

[DavidM]

Hello

It is quite possible, and feasible, for a case to be added later for a variety of reasons. Maybe the original case was damaged or lost, and another obtained to keep the award safe. Perhaps it never had a case originally, and at some point it's owner bought a case for it (you could purchase just the item on it's own or with a case, but the cases were optional extras) or a collector has married up a later case with an earlier DK.

Regards
David

[Seewolf]

and at some point it's owner bought a case for it (you could purchase just the item on it's own or with a case, but the cases were optional extras)

Many thanks for these news i didn´t know, David

[DavidM]

Many thanks for these news i didn´t know, David

It's still the same today. If you order, for example, an RK from S&L you buy the award and can also order (seperately listed and priced) a case. The price list I have is probably out of date now, but the on the last list I got from S&L the Etui zum Ritterkreuz was €22.50 and full silver version of the RK was €75. So, as it was in 1957, you could always, at a later date, buy a case for your award/badge.

Regards
David