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[Steve 5]

Gentlemen...Here we are, I have had time to observe and photograph..........it is in my opinion a genuine St u L made mid produced die strike award with old stock wartime pin marked "4" (Chancellery number) as on Nigels KvK I, I show my mid produced text book version by St u L side by side in order to compare, it is IMO exact, especially the soft detail to laurel leaves top right, it also has the same details and rear "splodge/splatter" marking as member paracelso's version just below the "C" catch......so I would imagine manufacture close to 1968, as the "C" catch of early design...see if you agree. This soft detail is not apparent on the later versions, so St u L must of either cleaned up existing dies or used other dies, as we know they had more than one die for a few of their awards.........
It is also very similar to paracelso's in finish, very bright gold, almost garish !
Prost ! Steve.

[Steve 5]

more..........pin mark and hing/pin top.

[Steve 5]

shot of hinge and catch...............

[Steve 5]

comparison shots....."4" on left, mid production on right..........
Prost ! Steve.

[Nigel N]

Hi Steve
No doubt about it!!! A later S&L GWB, with a leftover wartime pin!!
I can only guess that some old pins were found in the factory at some point and used up on the then current production pieces, this probably happened on more than one occasion, as some of the pieces with the "4" marked pins were early, this one some years later!
We have also seen other examples of much earlier S&L parts and hardware incorporated into later pieces, the S&L factory must have been a treasure trove of old parts and other goodies!!
A great buy on your part Steve, as I said, had I been a WB collector, this would have been a "must have" piece!!
Well done on buying it!!!!!!!!!
-Nigel

[Steve 5]

Thanks Nigel, it now joins my other two variants.......now got to get/find Deschler and Assmann versions !!
Prost ! Steve.