Kriegsmarine/Reichsmarine/Imperial/Bundesmarine Cap Tallies

[John R.]

As I promised here you have my new adquisition.
Monte Pascoal was a transatlantic cruiser of the Hamburg-Südamerikanische line. She was in Buenos Aires when the war began and have to seal to Germany across an ocean controlled by the enemy navys. All crew menbers were awarded later with the Blockade runner badge. The ship was in Wilhelmshaven as a barrack ship of the Kriegsmarine from 1940 and in 1944 was hitted and sunk in the dock during an air attack. In 1945 the ship was refloated by the brithish. Severely damaged to seal again, the remains of Monte Pascoal was loaded with obsolete chemical munitions and sunk in the Skagerrak in late 1945.
Regads
Greg

Very nice example of a tally worn in the German merchant marine. These tallies can lead to some interesting research and discoveries. Thanks for posting this example Greg.

John

[JustinG]

Very interesting and thanks for sharing the story. Quite impressive.

Regards,
2dresq907
Justin

[John R.]

Fake UK Scharnhorst tallies

Just spotted another on ebay. Here is an example of the HMS Belfast museum ship gift store Scharnhort souvenir tally (no longer sold there).

Note the short side, which is how the British tally is made due to the bow on the side of the cap vice back like with the German Navy.

If this was cut even on both sides, it is a very hard tally to tell fake from real. Basically, stick with full length (110-150 cm) even ended tallies for this ship. Scharnhorst is the only tally like this that you have to worry about.

Naturally, there are other fakes, but not as good as this gift store example.

John

[Mike Kenny]

A tally to check please...

I just want to make sure the Admiral Scheer tally is one of the 70s examples before I return it. Opinions appreciated!

Pictured with it are a genuine tally on top, a Scharnhorst tally I bought as a copy and a Bundesmarine tally at the bottom.

Regards
Mike

PS: I'm loading some smaller scans for posterity and linking some larger pics.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~datumge...-x250-obv1.jpg
http://members.iinet.net.au/~datumge...-x250-rev1.jpg

[Mike Kenny]

small reverse...

[John R.]

Both the middle two tallies are reproductions, however the Scheer from the front is not a bad copy.

The top one is cellon.

John

[JustinG]

Here's my newest. It is in a photo album.

[JustinG]

another in the photo album.

[John R.]

I really like albums with the tally. Very impressive. That tally is a one looker--do not even need to see better images from this picture. Great find.

John

[JustinG]

Thanks John,
I just got two photo albums from Kriegsmarine sailors. I am adding photos to my profile album page. There are about 346 pics that I need to scan in and put in the album.

Check them out.

Thanks again.
regards,
2dresq907

Justin G.

[Mike Kenny]

Hi John,

Thanks for the confirmation, as I thought.

Regards
Mike

[Hirschstein]

John

may I ask what your basis is for the fakes ? due to color of the threads and the stiching on the back possibly ?

thank you

Erich ~

[Hirschstein]

Handsome Mützenbands Justin

very nice

E ~

[John R.]

John

may I ask what your basis is for the fakes ? due to color of the threads and the stiching on the back possibly ?

thank you

Erich ~

Tallies are just like KM warbadges in that they are a distinct collecting area that I have spent many years studying, collecting and even traveling to Germany to talk/be educated by very advanced collectors there. The top collectors are mainly German in ths area. Just like eveything in this hobby, nothing is easy and this is no exception. Being based in Germany and having German as your native language is a huge help naturally when it comes to tallies since each tally represents a bit of maritime history, usually only available in German for obscure units of the German navy and merchant marine (handelsmarine).

Since there is interest on the forum, I am going to ask one of those collectors to start to post here and continue the education, Dani F. I do not use the word expert lightly. There are a number of others that each specialize in certain areas of tally collecting.

A short answer to your question is that the thread, stitching and in part, the lettering is wrong. Lettering can get you in trouble though and is not enough in every case. Like badges, you have to look at the entire tally, front and back. Go to the tally thread just below and you will see where I posted examples of good ones.

Remember, you do not need to know all the fakes. You just need to know the real ones. Just like badges.

John

[Hirschstein]

John

I appreciate your replies so far given on a couple of the Talley threads. Super, will look forward to Markus's remarks once on the forums and Dani if he can drop by for comment(s).

I know this is quite a specialized form of collecting but ah so very interesting

Erich