Someones going to be disappointed

[Sonderkommando]

Looking through the estand I found a nice little grouping belonging to Erich Paul Roepke. A 3 document grouping complete with matching medal bar, the Honour Cross being awarded in 1935, with the other two medals awarded in 1942.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=976356

On the face of it, it appears nice however after looking further through the estand I found another single mount medal and award document from the same seller. A nice 18 year Police Long Service Cross with matching document awarded in 1938/39 to the same guy!

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=976169

Now, if this Erich Paul Roepke was awarded the Honour Cross in 1935, the Police Long Service Cross in 1938/39, and the other two awards in 1942 then why is the 3 place medal bar missing the Police Long Service Cross?
Then looking at the sellers other items, I find a single mount Olympic Medal?

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=976240

I strongly suspect that the original medal bar has been dismantled and the Olympic medal and the Police Long Service medal have been mounted as singles to sell for more money by splitting everything up. The 3 place medal bar sold with the 3 documents probably doesn't even belong to the group as it should have a Police Long Service medal with it at the least. And considering that a lot of Police also have the Olympic medal as well, I'm guessing it's a case of the seller trying to make as much money as possible by splitting everything and selling a lot of it in seperate chunks.


I hope that's not the case, but I can't think of any other reason that the group is being sold like this.







.

[Tom Yanacek]

Hi there,

Well, at least all the documents and medals are original items. But your logic makes complete sense so I have to agree. Anytime we see a grouping of documents paired with the corresponding medals we have to remember one thing: How can we ever be certain that any, all, or none of those medals are the exact ones that were awarded to the man whose name is on the documents?

But it is a shame that the document for the Police 18-Year is being split up from the other documents to Roepke. And since he was a Berlin policeman, there probably was an Olympic Commemorative Medal document in the grouping at one point in time.

Best regards,
Tom

[Casper]

Nice detective work.

I understand why really expensive groupings get split up cause it makes it easier to find a buyer.

I dont understand it in this case. Sad thing to see.

[Sonderkommando]

.......and sure enough, here's the Olympic Commemorative Medal Certificate just put up for sale that belongs with this set. *sigh

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=991130

[CurtD]

Obviously the Olympic medal is mounted for a medal bar, and the certificate was sold separately. A real shame a grouping like this is broken up forever.

[Yubari]

many auction houses or big dealers do same.. its pity but without them getting money, they would not focus on these items and we might lost possibilities to buy such items.. bit of circle..

[Sevrin]

There was a thread a while back in Imperial showing where someone on ebay was ripping apart very nice Imperial medal bars & selling the medals as separate pieces; no doubt hoping one guy would attempt to buy and reassemble them.

Heart-breaking to see that kind of disregard of history for greed.

James

[Grimjaur]

This goes for photos on the E-stand as well. Complete albums or groups, especially when it's SS, are broken up and sold at a (probable) higher profit. It doesn't matter what kind of historical items or groups that are broken up or by whom, it's very sad to see history scattered in the wind just for the sake of a easy sale/higher profit.

/Henrik

[Norm F]

.......and sure enough, here's the Olympic Commemorative Medal Certificate just put up for sale that belongs with this set. *sigh

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=991130

Just saving the images before the sales thread disappears.