A Little Box from Austria

[Nigel N]

Thanks for your replies guys, always appreciated!!!
@Alex....I remember your Vienna grouping, the very early blank core EK and the silver Madonna stickpin...both super pieces!!!
-Nigel

[reichenberg]

Lovely little group. The way those awards have been mounted reminded me of the EKII and Ost medal pair on SMI militaria website.

[Nigel N]

Thanks Ray!!!
Yes, I remember the mounted EK2 & Ost, similar method, 2 medals sewn together, backing cloth and safety pin!!
Is that pair still for sale Ray??
-Nigel

[reichenberg]

Thanks Ray!!!
Yes, I remember the mounted EK2 & Ost, similar method, 2 medals sewn together, backing cloth and safety pin!!
Is that pair still for sale Ray??
-Nigel

Yes, but I think overpriced @ £85.

[Nigel N]

Yes, but I think overpriced @ £85.

I think you are right Ray, that's probably why it hasn't sold??
-Nigel

[reichenberg]

I think you are right Ray, that's probably why it hasn't sold??
-Nigel

Guess so, enter 1957 into the word/code search to see his 57ers including a cased RK with Oaks & Swords which are marked L/58 for Souval.

http://www.smimilitaria.com/shop.php

[Nigel N]

Thanks Ray!!!
The Oaks just look like plain old fakes to me, they aren't the Souval design, neither are they S&L, with the swords finished on both sides???
Seeing the mounted pair again, there is something about them that appeals to me, even though the EK2 looks later than the Ost!!
One day I might make him a low-ball offer!!
-Nigel

[Alex W.]

Thanks Ray!!!
The Oaks just look like plain old fakes to me, they aren't the Souval design, neither are they S&L, with the swords finished on both sides???
Seeing the mounted pair again, there is something about them that appeals to me, even though the EK2 looks later than the Ost!!
One day I might make him a low-ball offer!!
-Nigel

Completely agree with you. These oaks have nothing in common with Souval made oaks. Souval Oaks are never finished on the reverse - not even on the earliest made display pieces.

Best regards
Alex

[Nigel N]

Completely agree with you. These oaks have nothing in common with Souval made oaks. Souval Oaks are never finished on the reverse - not even on the earliest made display pieces.

Best regards
Alex

Thanks Alex!!
Going off topic a little here, and I might have asked you before....but.....do you know when Souval stopped making 57 or TR style pieces??
-Nigel

[Alex W.]

Thanks Alex!!
Going off topic a little here, and I might have asked you before....but.....do you know when Souval stopped making 57 or TR style pieces??
-Nigel

The sale of all third reich related products ended with the death of Mr. Umlauf in the later 1980's. His successors immediately stopped the sale of anything third reich related. So much info and documentation of post war business was destroyed.
As for the actual production however - this is another more complicated story.
Beginning from the mid 1970's much of the offered items were in fact casted copies of early made products.
Even though listed in the sale listings, some items weren't available anymore.
Higher grade awards that used to be made in 800 silver were now made in "casted silver".
Of course there were also some leftovers that were still available from the earlier years but like I said, the 1980's brought more and more casted stuff. On badges even parts of the rear hardware were casted in order to beat production costs. Not nice but still part of the story.
57 design products of these years were casted as they were required - most often the KVK2 - I assume this was the case up until the end.
Lots still to be mentioned but this is already going off topic....

Best regards,
Alex

[Nigel N]

Thanks Alex!!
That is pretty much what I thought, and is the story told by the pieces themselves!!
-Nigel