Social Welfare Award

[nsdap79]

Hi,
I was offerd this Social Welfare Award . What are your opinions on it ?
Looks genuine to me. What is the worth of these?
Thanks
John

[Jon. H]

From the originals i have seen i would say that this one looks good.

[byterock]

Well for starters it is not the Social Welfare Award

It is the third pattern 'Red Cross Sign of Honour' or at least it is pretending to be. (Ehrenzeichen des Deutschen Roten Kreuzes)

It as only issued in very limited numbers between 37~39 so it is a fakers dream (no one knows what it should look like)

Here are my comment based on some of the documentations I have

1) The loop should be like the RKkvk narrow at the bottom wider at the top single piece with a 5 ridge loop with gilt oak leaves attached NOT a wire loop as seen here

2) the red cross shield inside the eagle does not touch the edges

3) as well the red cross in the shield does not touch the edges

4) The examples I have seen were enameled on both sides

this site

Red Cross Medals of the World

and this

www2 awards

have some fair pics of one however both versions though I would do allot more research on these before shelling out any money for one.


Hope this helps

[Silesien]

Originals you have seen ?? Looks good to you ?? It's the old fake that used to be hawked by Delta International of Lafayette, California,,,- same exact raised relief markings,- it's item #175 "Sign of Honor 1st Class" in their old catalog . Was available with "neck ribbon or chain". Looks like the guy who bought this one opted for the ribbon.

[Tiger88]

Fake!

Hello! This is my first post here at this excellent forum. I agree with the others,
if you look at the area were the wings of the eagle are attached to the body of the bird, its lower than the inner corners of the cross. In Detlevs book they should be even. Also the wingtips are touching the lower inner corners when they should end much higher. Hope this makes sense to you

// Thomas

[Jon. H]

Originals you have seen ?? Looks good to you ?? It's the old fake that used to be hawked by Delta International of Lafayette, California,,,- same exact raised relief markings,- it's item #175 "Sign of Honor 1st Class" in their old catalog . Was available with "neck ribbon or chain". Looks like the guy who bought this one opted for the ribbon.

That is actually correct, i was comparing to one i have in a book here. Clearly that one's not good either. I've seen a few originals including the Wilhelm Frick one, and after i've looked some more it's clearly a delta fake, owned a few of those my self. I think delta sold them for somewhere around 10-25$ cased.

The ribbon is also fake. And another clear sight is the loop.

Here's Reichsminister Wilhelm Frick's personal that i examined in Hamburg. The photo is most likely from Weitze's site

frick.jpg

[Silesien]

Delta has the Cross in its 1986 catalog @ $24.50 with 40% off to dealers. Their older catalogs show it much cheaper. Delta never had any cases for these (that I've ever seen advertised). The only case Delta ever had was with its Knights Cross. Cases for the Sign of Honor were obtained from Rudolf Souval, where they could be bought separately; later Souval listings omitted the cases as they quit fooling around with them. The Volkspfledge & Red Cross Crosses made by Souval, with fully-finished smooth edges, were much better than Delta's. A 1982 Souval listing I have lists the decorations but with no prices, meaning you had to write for a price-quote.

[Jon. H]

Ahh, interesting! I'm sure i once saw one of these cased from Delta, it was not sold directly by Delta but by a friend of mine so it's possible that he added the case or that someone else did.

[A.Doyle]

Hello all.
Silesien is right! This is a repro. Red Cross decorations, as well as the Social Welfare Order, does not have markings on the back. Also the construction and materials are all wrong.
Doyle.