KVK II with Swords Opinions

[Hartigan]

Happy New Year to all of you
Here I post pics of a KVK II with swords I have acquired a few years ago. The ring is not marked and its edges are not firmly attached to each other. It seems that part of its copper-like color has been lost and replaced by a grey tone. Could this be due to poor materials used during the end of the war or due to poor materials used to produce a fake medal??

[Adrian]

No problems with this one, an original example made of zinc. The copper like colour has disappeared/been absorbed by the zinc in places over time and the base metal is showing through giving the grey tone.

[Rob E.]

Hello,

Looks to be a authentic mid-late war zinc KVK.

You can't bend it under average hand pressure right? Or write on a white piece of paper with it?

It's quite common to find the suspension rings unmarked and not completely connected end to end as depicted in your KVK.

You can tell if it is a mid to late war because those were die-cast in zinc with a cheap bronze wash, the casting process allowing the eyelet for the ribbon ring to be formed integrally with the body of the cross, vice the early KVK's which were made of out of tombac and had the eyelet for the ribbon ring soldered on.

The early pieces hold their finish much better and are slightly heavier in weight.

It's common to find mid-late war KVKs missing their finish and in dull grey coloration in various degrees due to the inferiority of the zinc used to make them and the cheap bronze wash applied.

I hope this was helpful.

[Hartigan]

thank you very much for your replies they were more than helpful.
@Rob-I tried to bend it (hoping that the sword won't come off ) but its really robust

[Rob E.]

Cool beans.

Many of the fakes are made pretty cheaply and will bend under slight pressure without much effort, thus why I asked just to be sure.

[Hartigan]

I was wondering if there is a way to determine potential makers for crosses like this one that do not bear any marks on the ring? All crosses that come from a particular maker have their rings stamped? I mean is it possible that one particular maker stamped part of the medals they produced and left other lots unmarked?

[Adrian]

All crosses that come from a particular maker have their rings stamped? I mean is it possible that one particular maker stamped part of the medals they produced and left other lots unmarked?

According to Gordon Williamson in his book 'The War Merit Cross' these unmarked crosses are likely come from the early part of the war.
It is a fact that many manufacturers made awards and didn't mark all of them. For instance, it is easy to find a marked '100' EK2 and equally easy to find an unmarked example.

[Hank C.]

I was wondering if there is a way to determine potential makers for crosses like this one that do not bear any marks on the ring?

Not likely...there's not enough differences - if any at all - between kvk2 makers.

All crosses that come from a particular maker have their rings stamped?

No.

I mean is it possible that one particular maker stamped part of the medals they produced and left other lots unmarked?

Yes.

Hope that helps!

best
Hank

[Hartigan]

Adrian and Hank thanks for you replies!
They are very helpful!