Memelland Medal Help

[tiomnajasila]

Today after searching for a while I finally found a nice Memelland medal to go with my document. As I also know there are quite a few (good) fakes out there and I did hesitate for a while. The seller gave me guarantee to bring it back if it was a fake and a good friend gave me some advice so I decided to buy it.

Now the question remains what do you all think, did I buy a good or a bad one?

If you need more or better photo's please let me know.





















I was told it was a late war version. As seen on one of the photo's the medal consists out of 2 parts. It has some slight damage as it looks like it either fell or got stuck between something.

Thanks.

[fsm2009]

Hi there,
Sorry, but I don’t like this type of Memel. This medal has the upright "G" style (the laid back "G" style actually is more acceptable), the curved “M” and the "9" does not close. The stems of the branches appears between the returns, what is another controversial issue.
And I’m not sure, but look like the “A’s” have the same size, another thing we don’t expect in an original Memel.
Here is a picture of a good one:




Best regards,

Fernando

[Darrell]

Today after searching for a while I finally found a nice Memelland medal to go with my document. .......

Now the question remains what do you all think, did I buy a good or a bad one?



I was told it was a late war version. As seen on one of the photo's the medal consists out of 2 parts. It has some slight damage as it looks like it either fell or got stuck between something.

Thanks.

Unusual. Looks like a casting line? The loop on the top of the pendant is separated as well. If it was me, I'd defintely pass this one buy and wait for a good 100% example.

[tiomnajasila]

Thanks for the opinions Gentlemen,

I can assure you it's not a cast and I can say with certainty that it conscists out of 2 pieces.
I did pay attention to the little things on this medal, liked the hands ans the legs and they seemed ok.
I am not a specialist so I would not entirely be supprised if it was a fake but ofcourse very dissapointed.

So it starts to look like i bought my first fishy medal

[Stu W]

Hello,

I feel it's a reproduction for several reasons.

The material of construction does not appear to me to be the brass or tombak that I believe they were made from.

The obverse lacks crisp detail. Compare the swas to the one I will show below.

Although I understand there are differences of opinion on the podium I have never seen a Memel where the podium sides extend to the rim of the medal.

You mention it's a late war example. Frankly I doubt that anyone would have been making these late war when all else was in ruins. These were not high end awards. The following is a quote from the reference section here on WAF...

"The medal was dye stuck with a bronzed finish and worn on the left tunic pocket suspended from a white-red-white-green-white-red-white ribbon, which are the colors of Lithuania. Awards stopped at the end of 1940, with a total of 31,322 having been presented."

I see where you have stated it's not cast. It does appear to be two cast pieces affixed back to back.

Regardless, I too would suggest it's quick return to the seller.

Regards,
Stu

[mrg]

would agree with the above comments the line around the rim is definately worrying, few things wrong with this one in my opinion. sorry but not for me.

[Stu W]

a reverse view

[Don D.]

It is definately a bad one. The old "its a late war" excuse is often used to pass a POS as real. Where did you buy it?

[Tom Yanacek]

It is definately a bad one. The old "its a late war" excuse is often used to pass a POS as real. Where did you buy it?

I agree. The casting seam on the rim of this medal is proof positive that this example is a fake. These medals were never cast. They were die-struck in the same manner as coins.

Best regards,
Tom

[tiomnajasila]

Thanks once more all. Guess ill have to face it and accept i bought a fake

Don, I bought it on a militairy fair today from a german seller. Eventough he told me I could bring it back for some reason I feel he won't be there. I guess ill continue my search for a good one. A shame for the lost money but next time i will be even more carefull.

[fsm2009]

I guess there isn’t a good Memel whose reverse there are characteristics like
- a laid back "G" style,
- a straight “M”,
- a closed "9",
- a smaller “Ä” from “MÄRZ”,
- and finally with no stems or oak branches between the band returns (or 3 returns of the band),
with an observe wherein the podium sides extend to the rim of the medal, or the foot’s figure touches the rim, or with a bad swastika etc.
I mean if the Memel medal is ok for these characteristics on the reverse (“G”, “M”, “9”, “A” and the band returns), the observe details certainly will be ok too.
Best regards,

Fernando

[speedytop]

Hi Fernando,

do you know these threads?

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ighlight=memel

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ighlight=memel

Meanwhile I have a sixth contemporary picture, the third in the upright G style.

There are many differences in all the contemporary pictures for the G, the M, the Ä, the 9, the acorns and/ore in the oak

Regards
Uwe

[fsm2009]

Hi, Uwe,

Yes, I already had read those threads before. Memel medals are such a polemic topic, and perhaps will be forever…
I just tried to say the only type that everybody is comfortable with it is that one I described. Other types, and I’m not discussing any particular one, are kind of controversial, and some collectors don’t accept some of them.
I agree that there are maybe other period types of Memel’s, there are good examples on original medal bars, and it’s hard to deny them.
Like I said, it’s a tough subject, here in WA we can find dozens of threads about it.
Best regards,

Fernando

[tiomnajasila]

I to came across a medal bar with a version of the Memelland just like the one I have so that makes it even worse determining if it's original or not. It could be that this medal was taken of a bar as it seems the ring is made of a different alloy then the medal.

Even tough I want to believe I did not spent money on a fake my conclusion, with the help of the people in this thread and some research I did, I will keep this medal as a "not sure" medal. It seems it's just like Fernando states this version will always be a problem and the topic is problematic.

I will try to bring it back to the seller under the guarantee he gave me. So hopefully the seller will be there again and will take it back.

Correct me if I am wrong but this medal has not been proven fake but neither been proven original?

Oh well, happens to us all I guess. Thanks to this thread and all you who posted I now know what to look for when I find a other Memelland medal.

Thanks,
Rick

[Tom Yanacek]

Correct me if I am wrong but this medal has not been proven fake but neither been proven original?

Hello Rick,

Regardless of whether slanted G or upright G, large A or small A, straight M or curved M, etc... the medal that you posted is definitely a fake because of the casting seam around the rim of the medal. That is thing that does this one in for sure.

Also, that suspension eyelet might look like a separate piece, but it's not. The casting seam proves that. (You can even see the seam across the supposed weld area.) As mentioned previously too, the base metal is wrong. Originals were die-struck from bronze, but yours was cast from a white metal and given a golden bronze finish.

Best regards,
Tom