Iron Cross 1st Class repair or not?

[hmsbrinmaric]

Hi Everyone,
Yesterday I picked up a L/12 screw back Iron Cross. The only problem with it is that it is starting to seperate at the seem. My question is should I have it repaired? If so does anyone know someone who does this? Or should I just leave it alone an hope it doesn't fall apart?

Thanks,
Keith

[Peter Wiking]

I think you should leave it as it is.

Cheers.
Peter

[von ropen]

Don't touch it....!!!!1

[meriksson]

Yeep dont tuch it. And it will not fall apart im shure. Not even my L/11 ground digger is faling appart, but the core is no longer there.
Mikael

[John Ammons]

leave it as is... and consider the seam separation as 'character'

[hmsbrinmaric]

Okay I get the point

Thanks everyone for their feedback. I'll leave it just the way it is.
Keith

[Egret]

Repair?

Hello Keith,
I believe the seam could be repaired, but the repair would do other damage. I have a WW1 EK2 I bought for $16 that is badly damaged. I have played around enough with it to determine the solder used is very low temperature, about 400F. To join the edge you’d probably have to clean the existing solder, usually done with an acid solution called pickling dip, and add at least some additional solder and flux into the gap. Cleaning and the heat would damage the paint. The silver would be unevenly oxidized and cleaning it afterwards would leave the cross unnaturally bright. At best you’d have a new looking cross with modern paint.
I have repaired jewelry and pocket watches and it is tempting to consider repairing medals. A repairperson could use period technologies, but the finishes are irreplaceable. The results of 60 years of time also can not be reproduced. Although there are techniques to fake the effects of time, they are very transparent to the trained eye (which mine is not).
Certainly the rarer or more valuable a piece the less scrupulous it would be to repair it. A repaired piece might confuse the record, if latter unknowingly used as an example of a construction or finish.
I have several broken pieces and I’ve decided I like them the way they are, however I, for one, can see two sides to the question of repair.
Regards,
Chris
Aka Egret