From what i know there are only a few S&L wartime pieces with provenance.
Most collectors, me too, are looking at the S&L pieces with many doubts.
I think S&L did with these DKiG the same as with the B-frame RK´s, producing after the war for souveniers.
I would not pay more than the price of a 57er S&L DKiG.
I have not been able during the work for the DK book to verify or find but one instance of an actual award of a S&L German Cross. The fact alone that there are "4" marked pieces and non-marked pieces is a clear fact that at least one of two is a post war production. One would think that the "4" marked pieces are pre-May 1945 but there are a lot of people who think the opposite might be true. Of course, most collectors dismiss both models as post war.
I don't know the truth but I would be extremely careful just based on the facts.
Regarding this particular cross: There are no "micro 4" models. The one I have seen (not a lot!) had all the same incuse "4". Could you post a better shot of the stamp?
Hello Dietrich,
I have some questions and I would like to have your opinion if it 's possible:
what do you think about quality of DKiG like this (we can see in this thread) or crosses you have seen manufactured by S&L ? In your opinion these crosses were manufactured in high quality ? or better, is the same construction quality which we can see in DKiG manufactured by others like 1 , 20 , 134 etc ?
No doubt and interesting example and in super condition. Either you're a believer or you're not.
The marking or non-marking of items is still a mystery to me and I haven't seen anything yet that explains why so many pieces were unmarked. I can only assume a sample range from each batch was marked but I seem to remember reading that the purpose of the PKZ marking was to identify the maker for quality control purposes. So if that was the case, surely every cross should have been marked yet so many are not? Why?
May i answer your question?
The quality of this and the very early 57er S&L pieces is very high quality, compared to wartime makers like Zimmermann, Klein etc.
I really like these pieces, but would not pay the price as for a "20"er or "134"er.
you are right that the overall quality (stamping, gilding, paint, ..) is very good. However, the setting of the rivets is extremely poor. This example actually has relatively good rivets. In egneral they are looking very bad (see picture)!
I know that quality is not a sign of 'genuine' - the Rounder was for sure made with a higher craftmanship than some Juncker RKs - but if you see a pristine example of a Zimmermann or a Klein I don't think you would spot a difference.
I handled many S&L crosses. Not the quality of other makers in these crosses very much. Compare one to S&L and S&L bad quality. Cannot be war made cross to me.
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