Azad Hind medal

[mpiering]

Hi friends, how about this Azad Hind medal?
It is a die struck piece with nice details.

Thank you, Michael

[mpiering]

more pictures

[mpiering]

No opinions?

[RonR]

Michael,

A good reference thread, but that one is not included.


http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ight=Azad+Hind


Does not mean that the medal is not a good one.

Will need more opinions....

Best regards,

[Nordmark]

Hello Michael,


I am not sure regarding this piece. The marked area would concern me.


Regards,


Daniel

[mpiering]

Hi friends, this medal should leave me. Are there any other opinions?
It's a nice die struck medal from very good quality. But is this one a wartime Souval or postwar Souval medal?
If there are bette pictures needed, I can send high res scans via mail.

Thank you, Michael

[Alex W.]

Hi Micha,

It's a nice medal but IMO the finish is postwar Souval.


Regards,
Alex

[Ian Hulley]

Here's what Bob Hritz had to say ...

From what I understand, the first awards were made of tombak and did not have the swords finished on the reverse. Later issues were made of zinc and the swords were doubled in thickness and finished on the reverse. The swords had to be made thicker as they were too thin and weak for the zinc material.

The Azad Hind awards were authorized until 1961 and no longer awarded after that because the Free India Committee was disbanded in the end of 1961.

Souval was the only maker and continued making awards, for collectors, after 1961. These pieces were inferior in quality and the higher orders no longer had the Souval marked back plate.

Bob Hritz

Ian

[tgn]

What's wrong with the circled area?

Tom

[tgn]

Hi Micha,

It's a nice medal but IMO the finish is postwar Souval.


Regards,
Alex

In this case even if postwar it might be original. Post war or post 1961. There is a difference I would think.

[Bob Hritz]

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ight=Azad+hind

Bob Hritz

[mpiering]

Thank you very much for your replies.

Bob, when I understand you right there were wartime produced medals with this kind of swords (only finished on one side). What's your opinion on my shown medal?

Alex, the golden color on the pictures with the white background got a bit too much color when I scanned the medal. It doesn't look as extreme as on this pics.
The pictures with the black backside are showing the golden color a bit better how it looks in real. But it is hard to scan such shiny medals.

BR, Michael

[Bob Hritz]

I believe the posted medal is the first issue type made by Souval. Later versions were made of zinc and the swords were too thin, if made of zinc. The dies were adapted and the double sided swords were the result. This was to make the swords thick enough to resist breaking.

The post 1945 pieces were of inferior quality.

Bob Hritz

[mpiering]

Thank you very much Bob for your explanation.

BR, Michael