Diamonds for display

[Dwight]

A couple of months ago I posted some pictures of a diamonds set. See:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=793809

and

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...28#post6884128

The set matches very much the set pictured in Stephen Previtera's book "The Iron Time" (second edition 2007) on page 447 and in Dietrich Maerz book “The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross” on page 223.

The set I posted is not an official award piece and is most likely a post war made copy.

However, from the German National Archives (Bundesarchiv) I recently obtained some documents related to the German Army Museum in Strassbourg (GAMS). I found it very interesting to find some documents concerning diamonds for display purposes.

On the 13th of March 1944 the GAMS wrote to the Presidential Chancellery of the Führer and Reichskanzlers (“Präsidialkanzlei des Führers und Reichskanzlers”) and asked if it was possible to receive (“Überlassung”) a Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (“Ritterkreuzes mit Brillanten”).

On the 11th of April 1944 the head of the Presidential Chancellery of the Führer and Reichskanzlers (“Der Staatsminister und Chef der Präsidialkanzlei”) wrote to the GAMS that the making of a replica/copy (“Nachbildung”) of a Field Marshall Baton and a Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds had been ordered (“in Auftrag gegeben”). It is however a bit unclear to me if this means that the Presidential Chancellery had ordered the making of both a Field Marshall Baton and a set of Diamonds, or if this just applied to the making of a Field Marshall Baton.

[Dwight]

Diamonds for display

On the 4th of August 1944 the GAMS wrote to the head of the Presidential Chancellery of the Führer and Reichskanzlers (“Staatsminister und Chef der Präsidialkanzlei des Führers und Reichskanzlers”) and confirmed that a replica/copy (“Nachbildung”) of the Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds to the Knights cross had been received.

I find it very interesting that it was the Presidential Chancellery that supplied a replica/copy (“Nachbildung”) of the Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds to the Knights cross. It would have been very interesting to know who the maker/makers of these replica/copy pieces were.

Any comments would be very much appreciated!

[Ludwig]

Very interesting documents indeed!

[Douglas 5]

Interesting .
Just wonder why ask for a `Nachbildung` and not the real thing with subtituded diamonds .

Douglas

[Dwight]

Diamonds for display

Good question! Maybe the reason for making a replica/copy (“Nachbildung”) was that official award pieces were very expensive and time consuming to make?

Dwight

[Dansson]

Well You make a point, diamonds are not cheap and if it is for display...
the "gems" could aswell be made of glass to reduce the cost to produce them and it would not hurt so much if someone stole them or they got lost while being displayed or a tour.

Best regards,
Daniel

[Ludwig]

Perhaps a Nachbildung was produced in a more simply way, than the real set? Not just stones made of glass, but the leaves and swords, too?

[Tom B]

VERY interesting documents !!!! Tom

[Dietrich Maerz]

The "Diamonds" set of the Straßburg Museum are pictured in the book "The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross" on page 223.

[Douglas 5]

Thanks Dietrich .... had a look at them on page 223 . I some what like that lay out better than the issue version ... more rocks !
Even though maker unknown - is it die struck or is it a ' hand carved ' jeweler piece with glass diamonds ?
Presume this is the only piece know in this shape .

Douglas

[chen]

The "Diamonds" set of the Straßburg Museum are pictured in the book "The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross" on page 223.

Or from "Iron Times" ( Note: no stones set in hilt.

[chen]

There are around 10 different types of "fake" diamonds to KC in our classified system.

[Dietrich Maerz]

Thanks Dietrich .... had a look at them on page 223 . I some what like that lay out better than the issue version ... more rocks !
Even though maker unknown - is it die struck or is it a ' hand carved ' jeweler piece with glass diamonds ?
Presume this is the only piece know in this shape .

Douglas

It is not die struck, it is more "constructed" like a jeweller piece. Refer to Chen's posting.

Dietrich

[Douglas 5]

I see now ... did not have Chen's picture of the revers to look at . From the front it looked some what constructed . I could not see any one making dies for just one piece .
So - not a fake ... a true war time made 'Museum' piece -- copy/imitation .

Chen : Stopped counting fakes -- so they all have names now .

Douglas

[Dwight]

Diamonds for display

Here is the diamonds set refered to in post 1. As already mentioned the set matches very much the set pictured in Stephen Previtera's book "The Iron Time" (second edition 2007) on page 447 and in Dietrich Maerz book “The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross” on page 223.