March 13, 1938 Commemorative (Anschluss) Medal fakes?

[igneous]

I can't find any information on fake Austria Occupation Medals on this forum. I read something on E-bay about fakes http://testberichte.ebay.de/Medaille...AT:-1:SEARCH:3.
So I'm questioning my last purchase. The ribbon is to small for a real one, but the metal is heavy enough and details are great. Question: is the medal real?

[Tom Yanacek]

Hello,
The medal you show looks ok to me, but it would help if you also show a picture of the reverse. The ribbon is not necessarily a fake either. It just looks like the narrower 25mm ribbon width which was typically used for assembling medal bars.
Best regards,
Tom

[wschmidt]

Hello,

See these 2 medals:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=199545

This medal have one finish strange for me: dark. I never saw one Austria Medal as it... I dont like it...

[Tom Yanacek]

This medal have one finish strange for me: dark. I never saw one Austria Medal as it... I dont like it...

These medals were struck from tombak bronze and then finished in silver. Silver is prone to oxidation. I have seen original Austrian Occupation Medals that have tarnished to the degree were they are almost black.
Best regards,
Tom

[Ammersee]

I have one of these medals and I agree with Tom. It is either silver plated bronze (or other base metal) or it is a silver alloy such as German silver.
My medal has the wider rim and is starting to turn grey and black in areas.

Tom, I'd like to know what "tombak bronze" is. Normal bronze is simply a mixture of copper and tin. What did they do special to make "tombak"?

Everyone seems to have their own definition of tombak and I'd sure like to know exactly what it is, how it patinates, and etc.

I'm not convinced that the information I've received in the past about the composition of this and other medals is entirely accurate.
Thanks, Ammersee

[Tom Yanacek]

Hello Ammersee,
Tombak is an alloy of about 90% copper and 10% zinc. Bronze, as you say, is a mixture of copper and usually tin, or sometimes phosphorus, aluminum, silicon, or manganese. Bronze is a general term to cover a wide range of copper alloys. Since tombak is a copper alloy, it is sometimes called "tombak-bronze." Tombak basically looks like bronze and has similar properties. It is corrosion-resistant, non-magnetic, and will develop a green patina with age, just like copper or bronze.
Best regards,
Tom

[Stahlhelm]

Hello everyone:

From reading this thread, I can see that I definitely posted my Austrian Medal metal composition question on the wrong forum. I should have posted it here instead. I posted a related question nearly a week ago, and got hardly any responses. This thread offers a great new perspective to my question. Please also take a look at my thread and related question, if you don't mind:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...16#post2351516

What I've also noticed is that the very obviously tarnished surface on my Austrian Medal also suggests that is has some silver content, unlike some of the pieces said here to be composed of pot metal. I also notice that my tarnished medal is a distinctly more detailed strike, also suggesting to me that it is an earlier strike, as I've been told by other collectors.

Originally, I considered replacing my heavily tarnished piece with a cleaner, non-tarnished piece. However, judging from the information here, I'd say I'd rather keep the piece possibly made of the better metal, and just accept the tarnish as part of something a little better.

Chris

[Tom Yanacek]

Here's a few examples showing varying degrees of oxidation.
Best regards,
Tom

[Tom Yanacek]

reverse:

[Stahlhelm]

Tom:

Thank you so much for posting the selection of Anschluss Medals! That's exactly the type of photos I needed to see. The medal in my collection looks most like the medal on the far left, in your photos. It appears that such oxidation is quite normal on originals.

I was also confused with how many of these medals have very little to no oxidation, after being stored in open air for the last 70+ years. I guess those may be of the type said to be made of pot metal, earlier in this thread.

Thanks again for the comparison photos!

Chris

[Tom Yanacek]

Hello Chris,
Glad I could be of some assistance to you. As a further note, it is my opinion that although the quality of finish can vary, these medals were never made from pot metal or zinc.
Best regards,
Tom

[John Walker]

Here's my parade mounted set. The back is the interesting part for me.

[John Walker]

...........

[Stahlhelm]

Very nice set, John! Yes, the back is very interesting, indeed! Thanks for posting the photos!

Chris

[igneous]

I found out the ribbon of my medal isn't fake. The look and feel is real, compared with a fake ribbon (soft and nicely woven).