Odd HJ buckle

[G.J.B]

I just picked up this odd mint HJ painted steel buckle.
It is marked RZM M5/276 inside the youth emblem.
The RZM is hard to see but the M5/276 is well marked.
M5 was the number used for uniform fittings and 276 was the number used by Klein & Quenzer Oberstein.
Is this the makers mistake? Does anyone else have any buckles with RZM errors?

Regards
Gary

[G.J.B]

back of buckle

[G.J.B]

RZM marking

[Kurt Doench]

Very odd that Klein & Quenzer should have used their M5 marking on a buckle. The pattern you show has raised some concern in the past. Personally, I don't like the claw and pin assembly, or the shape of the eagle. There is another Klein & Quenzer HJ with their M5 marking which is undoubtedly original. This one is stamped from zinc. I am attaching pics for comparison.

Regards,
Karl

[Kurt Doench]

And the reverse. Actually, comparing the two just now it strikes me that the eagle looks remarkably alike on both, so I may just be paranoid. Also, the steel buckle is around with the conventional pin and claw type assembly. As to the use of M5, it seems that Klein & Quenzer did not have a M4 registration number. If they did have one after all, it would just have been a mistake on their part. If not, possibly they only had a contract for HJ buckles and didn't bother with the licence. Who knows?

The zinc buckle is, as I said, absolutely original. I was given another one from an old lady in my home village - a true undisturbed attic find for once.

Karl

[Marc verstraete]

The steel buckle pictured above is original; they have always been around but not popular. The same model exists with a normal prong sleeve instead of the welded prongs on the bar without sleeve. Only since the HJ buckles are becoming attractive to more people the question of the originality is raised. Whey the company used the M5 number instead of an M4 number is not known, probably a mistake but this has been seen before on many other occasions

Marc

[G.J.B]

Karl and Marc...Thanks for your help with my HJ buckle questions.

Regards
Gary