Memel Medal With Maker Mark?

[Airborne Nut]

Hello again everyone. Well here is a Memel Medal I got in today. I have to say that I find it very light in weight. (I don't have a digital scale at the moment but as soon as I get one I'll post the weight.) The ribon does not glow under black light, but it does have what is defenitely some sort of maker mark on the reverse. The detail on the front of hte medal is also very deep and well defined. Much more so than any of my other flower wars medals.

What metal could have been used that would be so light. Were these made from aluminum?


"H.C." Maker Mark? Could also be:

H.L.
M.L.
M.C.

Any guesses?

Obverse Shot

[Airborne Nut]

Reverse. Maker Mark is at the very bottom of the medal right between the ribbon wreath and the edge of the medal. Looks like a very tiny "H.C."

[Airborne Nut]

The mm was defenitely stamped in with the rest of the medal as the finish is covering it. It is so small it is very hard to see with the naked eye. It can be seen in this picture below the wreath and above the bottom rim. Under my Jewlers Loupe it is defenitley a meant to be there, menaing that it is not some sort of scratch or something. It is possible it was stamped in after the medal was made but before the guys in the factory applied the finishing coat.

"H.C." Maker Mark? Could also be:

H.L.
M.L.
M.C.

Any guesses?

[Airborne Nut]

Back Close Up:

[Airborne Nut]

Hopefully someone out there has seen this maker mark before if not then on some other medals.

-Shane

[George Stimson]

I have two Memel medals with the same mark. We had a thread on it a while ago, but we never reached a conclusion as to what the marks meant -- either a maker's mark or artist's signature?

[Thomas Durante]

My Memel has the same mark. Looks like "H.C." under my loupe.

Tom D.

[Airborne Nut]

George, and Tom, thanks for the info. Do either of your mm Memels feel light to hold in comparison to the other flower wars medals?

-Shane

My Memel has the same mark. Looks like "H.C." under my loupe.

Tom D.

[George Stimson]

I can't really tell a noticable difference in the weight by holding them in my hand. I didn't compare them all, though. Maybe if I get time I'll do it with a scale later today.

In the meantime, check out this mysterious "B" mark on the reverse of an Austrian Anschluss medal. I have yet to come up with an explanation for it!

[Thomas Durante]

Shane, the weights of my flower medals are:

Austria - 14.9 g
Chech - 13.5 g
Memel - 13.6

I tried to weight just the medal part, with the ribbon resting on a block adjacent to my scale as all my ribbons have different setups and would throw the weights off.

George, that is a strange feature in your Austrian Medal. Mine definately does not have that. Is it stamped into the obverse, or do you figure it was part of the finish? Mine has a thick silver plating over a brass core. I think I would still see it on mine if it were part of the die and stamped into the obverse.
Tom D.

[George Stimson]

Tom,

I have no idea about that mark, whether it was stamped in, or finished in, or what. It's definitely imprinted somehow, though. That's all I can say.

[Airborne Nut]

George, is the "B" encased in a cartouche? It appears between the fellow on teh right's legs to be a part of a round enge cartouche?

-Shane

Tom,

I have no idea about that mark, whether it was stamped in, or finished in, or what. It's definitely imprinted somehow, though. That's all I can say.

[George Stimson]

cartouche

It could be. I'll tell you, it's one of the most unusual things I've ever seen on a medal.

[Airborne Nut]

George, I use to work in steel for a summer job, and some of the steel was marked with a maker mark.

Is it possible that this mark is the metal (not medal) makers logo, that somehow got past quality control and was used in stamping. What I mean is that they stamped right over the maker mark from the larger sheet of metal.

-SHane

[George Stimson]

That sounds like a good explanation. I wonder if the sheets of metal used in medal making had such marks?