Recon Bar With Hanger

[Ron Weinand]

In the new batch of medals I just received, there is this Gold Recon Bar by IMME with 700 mission hanger. I need to know your impressions.

[Gene]

Looks like a nice piece that's lost the black paint to the numbers; no problems with it otherwise.

[Albert]

Gentlemen,

I have never owned a "zink" Imme clasp; I assume it is a zink piece due to the set up on the reverse. I have handled only Buntmetall pieces, and am attaching a photo of one of them.

It seems those two were not produced with the same tool.

Ron's badge looks old and has spots of tarnish and oxidation like on Buntmetall badges. Is there a spot where the base metal is showing through both on the clasp and the hanger? I would expect both to be made out of zinc. Ron, could you please check. The base metal of the eagle's head seems to be copperish in color...

Another observation is the fixing of the rings to the clasp. Usually, they are attached as shown on the second picture. Especialy on a zinker that would be exactly what I would expect to see.

I am not commenting on the authenticity of Ron's clasp, and would like to ask colleagues with other Imme marked zink badges for their input so we can discuss above observations.

Last question for now: is the maker logo impressed or raised?

Best regards,

Albert

[Albert]

The type of fixation what I'd expect to see:

[Ron Weinand]

I thought it was Zn, but it doesn't show any bubbling and is heavy. The TM is impressed. It appears to have had the blacking in the 700 cleaned out at some point.
Ron Weinand
Weinand Militaria

[Albert]

Then I am lost. I am not aware of a second early Buntmetall design. The hardware on the back would not make much sense either.

What about the eagle's head, is the base material nickel silver or is it reddish / yellowish?

And, if original, the hanger would be the first Buntmetall one for me.

Anybody else?

[Frank Heukemes]

My impression is not positive. It looks like a clasp pretending to be a zincer but actually made from a more modern, better metal. I also cannot believe a golden finish on a zinc clasp would stay WHILE the black paint would disappear. Not a clasp I would buy, I do not like the whole aura of it and the way it is made.

[skip]

Yes,

I******180;m afraid I would also tend to Alberts and Franks opinions. The finish looks very strange, not like anything I have ever seen on an original Imme clasp before. Also, like Albert points out, the fixation of the bar is unusual. What gives me cause for concern is the weak looking MM and the Imme untypical pin.

Skip

[Ron Weinand]

I understand your positions, but now the question comes: Have you seen any like this before? I do believe the hanger bar is Zn, but the badge is too heavy to be a Zn. I guess I will bring it to the SOS for in hand opinions until I can be sure. I have all the time I need to determine the originality.
Ron Weinand
Weinand Militaria

[Gene]

Ron,

The more I look at your clasp the more I like it. I like the Zinkpest around the swastika and in particular the hanger attachment as a whole. I like the loops, how they are soldered/attached to the clasp as well as the very delicate loops on the hanger itself. I think you have a keeper there.

Gene

[skip]

I see no pest Gene. Can you point it out?

Also, I miss the bubbling that is associated with these hangers. Although not a disqualifying point on its own another minus when viewing the whole spange.

Skip