One Piece Brass EK1

[Macmedal]

I have recently aquired this EK1. It is of a single piece construction and manufactured of brass. It is marked L/17 on the pin. As can been seen on the reverse the rim and reverse at one time had a silver wash applied to it. The 1939 is unusual in the style of lettering and the fact it is a rounded three.

Is this a manufacturers show piece, I have heard about before ?

I am sure that this is a period item.

However I may be proved wrong by the more knowledgeable who may laugh and say fake !



Thanks

[George Stimson]

Very unusual, to say the least!

George

[Sebastian Bianchi]

I think I have seen that style manufacturer marking before, and not in a good light.

Seba

[Macmedal]

I am really not sure on this item. All the indicators are that it is not genuine. However it is no doubt an old piece and it does not look as though it has been artificially distressed. Perhaps an early fake example ????

[Mark S.]

Early fake sounds probable...

I was thinking maybe it could have been made on board a ship, but I dont see how they would have done the raised numbers, and they surely wouldnt have marked it.

Curiosity, thats for sure.

[Bruce Simcox]

Hi MacMedal.....

.....I'm not laughing, but a FAKE is a FAKE. The lettering is a dead giveaway as is the clasp. I have seen and handled similar crosses with a different style of pin but with the exact same mm. On the pin too.

My advice would be for you to seek a return on this one.

--------------------

Bruce

[Adrian]

Hello Macmedal,

I belive your cross to be a repro. I bought one from Nicholas Morigi about 12 years ago (as a repro) and there are definite similarities between yours and mine.

1) The "thin" 1939 with the 1 and 9 looking squashed together.
2) Upon seeing yours in brass, I scraped some of the plating off the back of mine - and it is brass.
3) I looked hard at the beading, especially on the corners touching the swaz and they match exactly.
4) Just below halfway down the beading on the left arm, there is an extra wide bead, again the same on mine.
5) The catch on the back is the same.

The only difference I can see is the pins are different, yours being wide, mine is thin. However both are marked L/17.
Take a look at the hinge from the side, mine is a figure "8" with a flat bottom where it is soldered to the cross - is yours the same??

I would put money on the two crosses coming from the same mould, maybe at different times looking at the pins but I know mine is a repro and would say the same for yours

I checked out Morigi`s site before replying and the crosses he sells now are different, having a "normal" 1939.

Hope you can get your money back on this one

Best Regards,
Adrian

[Macmedal]

It is as I feared. Just hopefull thinking on my part. It certainly looks a few years old.

But as you say Fake is Fake.

On the bright side it was aquired for me so I have not paid for it and certainly will not be. (even though it was a paltry sum of money anyhow!)

Thanks for the replies.

[Doug See]

Pure fake. It's Polish, and even Lumsden includes it in his book on Fakes. Check it with a magnet. Ones I've seen were steel, brass plated, then silver plated.