Iron Cross Certificate

[JamesHMc]

Hello,

I bought this at an auction for 5 USD. I looked at it before the auction and figured it was worth taking an interest in. When I looked at it, it was in pristine un-issued condition. Well, to make a long story short, some nitwit from the Auction Company decided to prop up the auction tent a little more, when he did the water from the tent splashed into the box lot this certificate was in. It ran the ink of the issuer a lit bit. Since I am a complete novice to collecting German Militaria I figured I would post it here to see what yall think about it. I got it in an auction with what now appears to be a fake SS buckle, a really beat up hatpin, which I don't have a name for just yet, and a sheath of sorts I am yet to identify.

I haven't seen one on here yet that was un-issued, but I am sure this isn't a rarity as otherwise it wouldn't have turned up in Rural Tennessee.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

--James McAninch

p.s. If anyone else has a certificate that was signed by the same man on this document, I would appreciate any information on who he was, and what he did in the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe, or the "Aieral Fleet" as this Luftflotte stamp describes.


Picture:

[Simon O.]

Good thing you only paid 5 bucks for it as it's not original.

Here's a little info around Luftflotte 2

http://www.ww2.dk/air/hq/lfl2.htm

[A H]

Looks like a photo copy or maybe it's just the pic's

[JeremyJ]

EK doc.

Copy.

I have also never seen the Luftflotte 2 stamp which is shown, though perhaps it does exist.

Jeremy

[JamesHMc]

Well butter my butt, and call me a biscuit.

I swear out of 4 items in the lot, two have already been said to be fakes. The pictures make the 1939 look screwed up, and it makes the stamp look like it is printed. Holding it in my hand it is indeed stamped, and the signature and date were written in blue ink and in some form of German, be it all but readable.

Is all that deems this a fake the 2 on the stamp? I ain't going to be one of those folks who argues if it is fake or not, if it is indeed a fake I will take it in stride as I wasn't out much at all, and not knowing anything about this stuff, it was a learning experience. However, if it were just something that is unknown, I would just assume that this is something more of interest to search out than to deem junk. I don't think the certificate is a copy, but the stuff stamped, and written on it could be fake, but I don't know why you would fake something that isn't known.

But then again, I am a step below novice on these things so I will call it questionable at best, and most like a counterfeit.



Thanks Again,


--James McAninch

[JamesHMc]

Well butter my butt, and call me a biscuit.

I swear out of 4 items in the lot, two have already been said to be fakes. The pictures make the 1939 look screwed up, and it makes the stamp look like it is printed. Holding it in my hand it is indeed stamped, and the signature and date were written in blue ink and in some form of German, be it all but readable.

Is all that deems this a fake the 2 on the stamp? I ain't going to be one of those folks who argues if it is fake or not, if it is indeed a fake I will take it in stride as I wasn't out much at all, and not knowing anything about this stuff, it was a learning experience. However, if it were just something that is unknown, I would just assume that this is something more of interest to search out than to deem junk. I don't think the certificate is a copy, but the stuff stamped, and written on it could be fake, but I don't know why you would fake something that isn't known.

But then again, I am a step below novice on these things so I will call it questionable at best, and most like a counterfeit.



Thanks Again,


--James McAninch

[Simon O.]

The stamp seems to be a fantasy creation, it looks nothing like those used by the luftflotten. If this was genuine then you'd expect to see something like this signed by Kesselring or perhaps his chief of staff, the signature is neither. The place seems to me to be München? If so it makes no sense in relation to luftflotte 2.
You do get blank docs but they are blank. An EK1 in 1940 was pretty special and there's no way a Luftflotte commander would have been presented with a bunch of blank docs for him to sign off on...and they remained blank, he wouldn't really have filled in the place and date by hand either, not at his level, that's what clerks with typewriters are for. A bit like getting your boss to sign and stamp blank requisition forms. In fact the date would lock this down to an individual or small group of individuals being awarded the EK at that time. ie. there was already a specific person this was meant for, not "here's a bunch of docs ready to go, fill 'em out as necessary"

[JamesHMc]

Yeah, it’s a shame it's a fake. I thank you for that info on the Luftflotte 2. I would rather have the market be devoid of fakes, because for the most part its the vendors, and the customers getting screwed both, and I don't see how anyone could make a whole lot of money off this crap, as it doesn't do any good.

Ah well, I thank you for your time and comments, but it looks like there are just too many fakes out there for me.

I saw a full can of Zyklon-B at a local antiques cell a few years back for 350USD, I guess it was fake too.


Might post something later.


--James McAninch