Some of you are aware of my interest in field made medals & badges but only if they have rock solid provenance. This is one I shared Some time ago that was taken from an Afrikakorps soldier by a South African British volunteer: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...field+made+IAB
Now I (will) have another. This EKI just came out of a GI's footlocker today. A fellow antiques dealer friend of mine just left a house call he made at an elderly woman's place. This woman just sold him her uncle's footlocker. While looking through his items my friend pulled this out and told the woman "this is fake". In response the woman said "I knew you were going to say that" and further explained that whenever her Uncle would share his souvenirs with other's that others would question it's authenticity as well but he would always swear up and down that it was real because he took it off the POW himself. The soldier in question served in North Africa and was badly wounded a bit later in the early fighting for Italy, being shippe back to the US given the severity of his wounds. Given the supply shortages the DAK suffered during the campaign this totally makes sense. My friend says it's made from zinc (and it appears to be given the zinc pest) and had a safety type pin inserted into it while still molten.
I'll share more pictures of it next week when I have it in hand.
Chuck
Now I (will) have another. This EKI just came out of a GI's footlocker today. A fellow antiques dealer friend of mine just left a house call he made at an elderly woman's place. This woman just sold him her uncle's footlocker. While looking through his items my friend pulled this out and told the woman "this is fake". In response the woman said "I knew you were going to say that" and further explained that whenever her Uncle would share his souvenirs with other's that others would question it's authenticity as well but he would always swear up and down that it was real because he took it off the POW himself. The soldier in question served in North Africa and was badly wounded a bit later in the early fighting for Italy, being shippe back to the US given the severity of his wounds. Given the supply shortages the DAK suffered during the campaign this totally makes sense. My friend says it's made from zinc (and it appears to be given the zinc pest) and had a safety type pin inserted into it while still molten.
I'll share more pictures of it next week when I have it in hand.
Chuck
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