Knights Cross - Original Cost to Manufacture

[Pronghorn]

Hey:

I wonder what the original cost was (in today's dollars) to produce a Knights Cross? What amount was billed to the awarding agency?

If the finest jewelers were commissioned today...I wonder how much a Knights Cross w/ OSD would cost to make?

Robert

[hagwalther]

That's a pretty interesting question.

To take it one step further does anyone know how much they were to made, package and distribute during 1939-1945?

Regards ...

[Allan P.]

I think Gordon has some prewar catolouges from manufacturers with prices in.

Gordon?

Allan

[Gordon Williamson]

I think Gordon has some prewar catolouges from manufacturers with prices in.

Gordon?

Allan

Retail cost of the RK in 1940/41 prior to the sale of them being forbidden was approx RM34. This compares with approximately RM3 for an EK2. Despite the fact that both awards are very similar in design and construction, only the RK being fractionally bigger and (usually)with an 800 silver frame, and that the two would have taken broadly similar amount of time and effort to manufacture, the RK is TEN TIMES the price of the EK2. (Mind you, today the RK can be 100 times the price of an EK2 )

[Pronghorn]

RM34 in Today's Dollars

How much would 34 RM's be today?

Robert

[Airborne Nut]

I just bought 3 Reich Bonds htoe other day for $75 total.

The Bonds were as follows:

2 x 1000 Reich Marks
1 x 500 Reich marks

-Shane

[Allan P.]

No marks anymore Rob, but 34 euros would be about £22.00 or $40.00 I reckon.

Allan

[Bob Hritz]

In 1940, the German Mark floated around 22 to 25 cents US.


Bob Hritz

[Luftm40]

Also...don't confuse collector desirability w/ quality. Even in the day, RKs were not THAT spectacularly made. In fact, I'll bet most jewellers would have rated them only as a nicer quality mass produced item...

[Dave Kane]

One must also consider that when the Govt. 'bought' the existing retail stock in '41 and paid only 14rm +/-...even considering a 'mark-up' of 20% the cost to actually MANUFACTURE the cross might have been in the 7-8rm range as afterall the case and ribbon was included in the 'buy-up'!

In 1953 cased RK's were selling for 16.50dm in open retail shops!

Dave

[Pronghorn]

$8.00 ... the cost?

So if I'm reading this right, a RK in 1940-1941 would cost about $8.00 in US dollars?

Factoring in 10x for inflation, (and factoring out their collectability ) a RK would cost $80.oo?

What's wrong with this picture?

Where can I find a TIME MACHINE????

Robert

[Allan P.]

So I wonder how many RK were produced prior to 1941, and by whom?

Allan

[Airborne Nut]

Don't forget that the dollar back then bought a hell of a lot more than what it does today. Weren't soldiers in the US army making $50/ month? If so that should set the stage for you.

-Shane

So if I'm reading this right, a RK in 1940-1941 would cost about $8.00 in US dollars?

Factoring in 10x for inflation, (and factoring out their collectability ) a RK would cost $80.oo?

What's wrong with this picture?

Where can I find a TIME MACHINE????

Robert

[Dietrich Maerz]

Dave asked me to ask my mother about the pricing level in Berlin in the 40's. She was living there till the very bitter end. She could recall pricing just like it was yesterday:


1 liter milk : 0.12 RM
2 bread rolls : 0.05 RM

The rent for the 3 room appartment was 40 RM/month and my father, who was a kind of vice president at a anti-biotics institute made 280 RM/mont. His boss made RM 500.-/month and from the size of the company this should have been a top salary at that time. Her father was a nromal worker and made around 180 RM/month.

So 34 RM for a (second) RK was not cheap by any means!

Dietrich

[Dave Kane]

Thanks Dietrich! As always quick to help


Nothing in stone but it makes one think that 'the average Joe' ie: soldat, landser or even one with a Sgt.'s pay might be hard pressed to buy a 2nd. cross for wear in the field!

The more 'well to do' yes, I can imagine this occuring....so with this in mind I wonder what the market would have been for RK's prior to '41 and the motivation for so called 'jeweler copies'!

Does anyone have stats regarding RK's awarded (prior to '41) boiled down to EM v. Officer?

Could be fun!

Dave