57 version or wartime ribbon?

[Thomas Bendixen]

Hi Everyone

Sorry for choosing this forum for discussing ribbons but I really couldn't find an appropiate place to do it so please share your views.

As some might know I'm hunting for a wartime 30 mm. blue Whermacht DA ribbon for my ribbonless 25 years DA cross and have noticed that even experiencend collectors can't tell the difference between wartime and post may 1945 ribbons.

My view is that wartime ribbons (Memelribbon in the pic) has these curvy wave endings on both sides of the ribbon wehereas the 57' versions (blue ribbon in pic) only has in one side (and not very pronounced) and the other side looks like it was heattreated or overlocked as on modern sewingmachines. I'm not 100% but since I noticed this difference I have seen that all my medals have the vawe feature and all 57' medals I have seen dosen't - what do you think?

Cheers Thomas

PS: If anyone can get me a period ribbon please make my day :-)
T.E.B. has attached

[Gernika81]

Have you tried the black-light test?

[Thomas Bendixen]

Hi Ricardo

What should I expect to see when using a UV lamp on a blue ribbon 57 version compared to a wartime?

Cheers Thomas

[Gernika81]

As I know, post 45 ribbons have synthetic components, so they should glow under black light, whereas a pre 45 ribbon shouldn't. However, this test is not reliable 100% (maybe 90%) when what you want is to find out if a ribbon is original or not (it's said that some pre 45 can also glow, but a minor part of them), but what it's clear is that 57er ribbons must glow under black light. That's what I've read many times.

[Don D.]

Thomas, I believe you are correct about the scalloped weave being on both sides of wartime produced ribbons.