Ss Das Reich Tag

[Alan from OZ]

Any opinions on this would be appreciated.
Thanks
Alan

[Matt L]

Unfortunately Alan, that's a fake- it's a very commonly-seen type actually, the lettering is very recognizable. It's one of the three most well-known forms.

Sorry.

Matt

[Alan from OZ]

Unfortunately Alan, that's a fake- it's a very commonly-seen type actually, the lettering is very recognizable. It's one of the three most well-known forms.

Sorry.

Matt

Thanks for the ifo Matt. I suppose that's what trapped me. I had seen the lettering before, just didn't realize that it was on a fake.

[Gaspare]

old 'Rokas' fake all the way....There are other examples of this font style here, try some searchs and you see them..,G.

[GrenadierKarl]

Opinions.....original or fake too?

[GrenadierKarl]

.

[Matt L]

Well it's not a fake font I'm familiar with, but the text seems odd to me- expanded it reads:

2. Kompanie Panzer-Division Das Reich

The thing is that a Division isn't made up of numbered Kompanien- it's made up of Regimenter, Bataillone and Abteilungen and THEY are composed of numbered Kompanien. A Division did have specialist Kompanien, e.g., Sanit******228;ts, but these were denoted by their type, not number. Correctly, a disc should identify which subunit of the Division it's the 2. Kompanie of- e.g., 2./ SS-Panzer-Regiment 2, or 2./ SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 'Deutschland'. What's more, Das Reich was only a Panzer-Division from 4.44-5.45, so it'd be expected that virtually all soldiers would wear discs from whatever replacement units they came from- not ones marked with the field unit as this one is. Only a replacement disc (for one lost) would bear the field unit information, but the serial number on this one is VERY high for a replacement disc from a single Kompanie- and the blood group on it means it is supposed to have been issued, so it can't be suggested to be an unissued stock disc.

All this makes me think that it's doubtful the disc is authentic. Of course if anyone has any differing opinions or information I don't, I'd be interested to hear it.

Matt

[christof]

Well done Matt, I am thinking exatly as you !

[GrenadierKarl]

Well it's not a fake font I'm familiar with, but the text seems odd to me- expanded it reads:

2. Kompanie Panzer-Division Das Reich

The thing is that a Division isn't made up of numbered Kompanien- it's made up of Regimenter, Bataillone and Abteilungen and THEY are composed of numbered Kompanien. A Division did have specialist Kompanien, e.g., Sanitäts, but these were denoted by their type, not number. Correctly, a disc should identify which subunit of the Division it's the 2. Kompanie of- e.g., 2./ SS-Panzer-Regiment 2, or 2./ SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 'Deutschland'. What's more, Das Reich was only a Panzer-Division from 4.44-5.45, so it'd be expected that virtually all soldiers would wear discs from whatever replacement units they came from- not ones marked with the field unit as this one is. Only a replacement disc (for one lost) would bear the field unit information, but the serial number on this one is VERY high for a replacement disc from a single Kompanie- and the blood group on it means it is supposed to have been issued, so it can't be suggested to be an unissued stock disc.

All this makes me think that it's doubtful the disc is authentic. Of course if anyone has any differing opinions or information I don't, I'd be interested to hear it.

Matt

Matt, thank you for your help. It's a dog tag with secrets and I think we will never know the truth, because mysterious things happened at the end of war too. Authentic or not.......sometimes it's a secret forever. Thanks for your thoughts .

[Gaspare]

please,,there's no secrets there.More than likely an original blank stamped with original stamps or even repros..The aging means nothing as anyone that has the know how, desire and talent can reproduce it.

Re read Matts last post a few times....A good order of battle book is a must when collecting tags and most of all a little common sense..

[GrenadierKarl]

I had my doubts with this dog tag always too. I'm right?

Estnische SS Freiwilligen Brigade

[mr.dogtag]

It's a fake made by the same person. But using different stamping tools.
Cheers!
Al

[Matt L]

Yeah, those letters are a recognizable type as well- definitely fake.