Packets with the maker name cut out

[IIAND]

Hi all,

After attending a military show recently, I came across a number of award packets where the maker name had been cut out. I was quite surprised by the sheer number of packets that had been tampered with in this way.

I am sure other collectors have long questioned this phenomenon but I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share their thoughts as to why these packets have been altered? Was it done during the period or collectors/traders post-war?

I would be very curious to hear any theories or information that might help me to understand why these packets have been altered.

Many thanks in advance!
All the best,
Rob.

[Tom Yanacek]

Hi Rob,

I have always wondered about that myself. I have several examples like that in my collection. Perhaps this was done postwar by some of the manufacturers, who wanted to trade/sell off their production stockpiles and no longer wanted their name associated with Nazi decorations. That seems to me the most likely scenario.

Best regards,
Tom

[Tom Yanacek]

Here are two packets that I have with the manufacturer name cut away. I have more like this in my collection, but these two are fairly recent acquisitions:

1.

[Tom Yanacek]

2.

[chrisje110]

I to think this was done by the manufacture, who sold postwar out of the 'backdoor"

[IIAND]

Thanks for adding some examples Tom! It is so common that it does suggest it was something fairly systematic but most likely a post-war alteration. For the actual manufacturers to do this though does seem odd to me as what repercussions would they face in a post-war environment if they sold these medals on a black market?

[Thomas H]

Why would manufacturers go through all that trouble of cutting out the maker marked when they could just black it out? During the war they blacked out MM's and designations, so why change that post war?

[IIAND]

It is a good point Thomas. It is so common though. Perhaps dealers or collectors then? I could see valid arguments for either carrying out this act. Less so for collectors who I would have thought would want to preserve the packet as best they could.

People can have very strange habits though...

[Thomas H]

Could have been the same recipients that roughly removed the swastika on their medals, documents and photos. They may have removed the name because the company worked during the Third Reich and therefor may be nazi?

Or a collector that likes to put the MM as a little notelet next to the medal, as the MM is otherwise not shown?

Or...well maybe for a completely different reason. But there are quite some out there.

I also had some of them, but gave them away as for me the value is reduced to zero.

[IIAND]

Or a collector that likes to put the MM as a little notelet next to the medal, as the MM is otherwise not shown?

Exactly what I was thinking Thomas.

Unfortunately I do not tend to consider purchasing them for my collection either as they lack the maker mark. It is such a shame! They would make a nice filler until you found a complete one though.