Mystery EK2 unknown or just a fake

[evilmike]

This cross i posted with a few i got recently and recieved alittle mixed reaction, one thought was that it maybe a 333 with a different core? it has a fat swaz and rather thin dates. Any ideas guys it came from one of the bigger German dealers so it should be able to get returned if its a lemon.

Thanks for the help
Mike

[evilmike]

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[evilmike]

no thoughts anyone? (thanks to Adrian & Fabri for previous input)

[wrecks79]

I'm new to this but, from what i've learned that looks like the real deal to me. Nice piece of history.

[ApathyL]

Hi there,

Well I have a feel that this is bad, I dont like the swaz, nor the 1813 date. It looks as if it have been reworked, or bad manufacture from start but I personally would use this for a keyring or send it back and get a good one.

[Flemming]

It really looks like the core has been reworked.
Swaz and dates really looks strange.

/Flemming

[AUSGANG]

I don't like the looks of the rough areas around the swastika and the "1813" date looks like a double strike. Don't know if that means its fake or a strange variant but I don't like it...

[Frank Heukemes]

Some things to check: green verdigris in core proximity, no rust point to a non-magnetic core. Is that the case? I suspect so, not that this would make it a bad cross per se. Also, check if the core is one piece or constructucted from two halves. Grab the core by its date numbers on both side with your fingers and see if you can move the eventual core halves slightly. A two halves, thin construction might explain the strange swastika and date detail.

It is an eerie cross, but I would not rule out originality totally at this point.

[Adrian]

but I would not rule out originality totally at this point.

I'm with Frank on this one. The swastika does look strange but it looks like there were air bubbles in the paint as it was applied to the swastika, there is evidence of this around the 1939 date too.
If the swastika was reapplied then whoever removed it to begin with did a very good job, there doesn't seem to be any scarring on the surface of the core, nor to the inner corners next to the swastika. The rear date looks like a mis-stamp and although not pretty, wouldn't raise an immediate red flag for me.