A Very Beat UP EK1C - A Few Questions Please

[Schreck]

As you can see this EK1 has been trashed beyond belife. It has had the Swastika gouged out of the center of the medal and it has been severely nicked and scrached up. It has the L/11 makers mark on the backside. I was wondering if this still had any value to it at all? Maybe a few dollars to start off a collection? Thanks.

[kefru177]

maybe for target practice.

Why bother, they are cheap and common enough wait for a better one

[Steinar]

if the price is right... this cross ain't worth a lot, perhaps someone can restore it...

[Friedrich]

The price is really up to you! There are people, even on this forum, who collect these so called denazified pieces.. They would give you one price, while others would simply pass on it..

I for instance have an S&L EK2 with a completely rusted through core.. I didn't pay much for it, it's not with the rest of my collection, but I still kinda like it.. It's a part of history too..

[Steinar]

I guess it's not much to do if the core is rusted to pieces... but I don't see any problems getting that poor ek1 a new swastika, as long as its done by a professional

[DaveNZ]

sheesh id love a cross like that :P

[tinmantis]

I love crosses like that, and I have a few myself
don't 'do' anything to it, enjoy it for what it is
coz if you enjoy the history, it's much more valuable than a mint piece IMHO!
regards
jon

[AUSGANG]

I collect denazified EKs and I would pay up to 50 euros for an L/11 like you have since that isn't a particularly rare maker's mark. I approach denazified awards with basically same criteria as undamaged awards: how scarce is the maker's mark and what condition is the award in. I paid 175 dollars for this rare L/19 maker's mark denazified EK1; I didn't think I was going to have any competition during the auction but it went that high and I wanted it. I no longer pick up the unmarked denazified awards unless the removal was brutal or remarkable in another way.

I find the denazified awards more interesting than complete awards because there are two stories going on with an altered example. First, the deed that merited the award, then at the end of the war the act of defacing it. Fascinating to me, I wish these denazified awards could tell their story.

[DaveNZ]

I wish these denazified awards could tell their story.

They're telling a story on my bank balance thats for sure

[Schreck]

Thank you for your thoughts guys. I guess i never looked at it in the way that some of you guys do. It sheds a whole new light on things.

[Chris D.]

The thing is, IMO, these are pieces of history and the fact that it was removed is a valid part of that history, as AUSGANG said. The whole de-nazification thing, along with the whole 1957 line is an important part of german history. I feel that "messing" with anything cheapens it in both the monitary value and the historical value. I would much rather see a nice salty combat tunic with the insignia ripped off then some restored thing because that represents something of historical significance and not some guy in a basement in iowa sewing on some insignia that was not part of the items wartime history in the interest of making it look spiffy. The same goes for EKs and badges, a nice worn EK1 interests me much more than a perfectly minty one that has been a display item its entire life since the wear and tear on that EK was often aquired in the field. Again, just my opinion, sorry for rambling.
kindest regards!
-christopher dillon

[DaveNZ]

The thing is, IMO, these are pieces of history and the fact that it was removed is a valid part of that history, as AUSGANG said. The whole de-nazification thing, along with the whole 1957 line is an important part of german history. I feel that "messing" with anything cheapens it in both the monitary value and the historical value. I would much rather see a nice salty combat tunic with the insignia ripped off then some restored thing because that represents something of historical significance and not some guy in a basement in iowa sewing on some insignia that was not part of the items wartime history in the interest of making it look spiffy. The same goes for EKs and badges, a nice worn EK1 interests me much more than a perfectly minty one that has been a display item its entire life since the wear and tear on that EK was often aquired in the field. Again, just my opinion, sorry for rambling.
kindest regards!
-christopher dillon

I agree totally