Help! UStuf. LSSAH Panzer board with officer CYPHER

[SJP]

These particular copies are difficult to tell w/o seeing the reverse. They do share many traits.

Markus's is in the middle
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Cheers Steve

[SJP]

It makes no difference with these fakes weather the lower "h" is open
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Cheers Steve

[markus]

These particular copies are difficult to tell w/o seeing the reverse. They do share many traits.

Markus's is in the middle
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Chers Steve

I am speechless.

Are you sure the right one is a fake? They completely look alike...

[markus]

Lah

Maybe the seller can help me with a reverse shot to clear out the mistery or is it a crime taking off a cypher from a board.

Sorry for my ignorrant "paper-collector" comment then!

I would really like this piece to be good to finally have one in my small collection.

[Sonny]

Steve, Nice homework! Where is the cast on the right from.

[markus]

Cypher

Unfortunately the seller informed me that he does not want to risk breaking a prong, taking the cypher of the board to see it's reverse.

It has been in at least two reputable collections before.

Finally I convinced a collector to sell me one and now this. Why are some pieces just so controversial in this hobby.

That leaves me with taking a final decision. Yes or No....

[N.C. Wyeth]

That leaves me with taking a final decision. Yes or No....

If you have money to risk, buy it with a Seller's guarantee of authenticity . . . under the pretense that YOU will take responsibility for removing the device - if it turns out to be bad, you get a refund . . . if it turns out to be good, you have a winner!

[Dr. Strangelove]

17#

Post 17# makes it easy. Both cast.

[stgeorge64]

The SS-Ustuf board and LAH Officers cypher are from my collection.

I was contacted by Markus a short time ago asking if I knew of an example for sale. I sent Markus some images for him to decide if the item was for him, which he duly posted here, with my full backing.

I have previously posted many examples of LAH Cyphers on the 'Show Your LAH Items' thread, and as a result received some substantial offers of money to sell particular items as a consequence. As I sit here now, only 2 items from that thread remain in my collection.

I was not trying 'to punt' this item, it is in my collection and I had received an offer. I am a collector and not a dealer, I did not have to sell the item for any financial gain, rather the result of a change in collecting direction over the years.

As a result of comments made on this thread (including some, although not all, very short explanations in the negative and without and substantial backing) Markus has decided against purchasing the item, which is his perogative.

However, a long standing WAF member who visits frequently but rarely posts has offered a significant amount money since seeing the item up for discussion, which I would be a fool to dismiss.

The photographs offered were I admit, slightly blurred in execution however, still crisp in comparison to the fakes posted. These items always cause debate however, originals do exist.

This is a forum which has seen insignia from the person of RFSS Heinrich Himmler, some of the rarest pieces imaginable. Yet how many people were in a position to judge their authenticity from simple images and similar items from their own collections?

Rare does not mean 'does not exist'.

Good luck to all of you in your collecting.

Regards Richard.

[markus]

Hello everyone!

“…a great view on W-SS collecting…” was a good friend’s comment yesterday night about this thread.
The cyphers are a particularly difficult chapter with a lot of controversy.

I appreciate very much Richard’s offer and the opportunity he gave me, which happened rather casually and which I decided to decline in the end.

It would not surprise me if I just lost a good opportunity of acquiring a genuine LAH officer cypher, but everyone has different collecting criteria. I personally decided to rather pass on an item I have the slightest doubts about, then to run the risk of acquiring a piece and always ask myself later: “Is it or is it not?”. There is no point in that.

I have been collecting LAH for 10 years now and even call one of it’s divisional commender’s document groups mine, but I am still lacking a simple officer cypher!

If there is something one needs in SS collecting it is knowledge, experience, but even so a lot of patience and discipline! Money comes way behind.

So I’ll be patient and hopefully another piece crosses my path one of these days…

Again, thanks to Richard for the opportunity and thanks to everyone sharing their view on this particular piece!

Markus
(Written from my BlackBerry)

[Dr. Strangelove]

In Hand

In hand it's not hard at all !! A breeze actually, they are crisp and featherlight. Here are some real ones:

[markus]

Yep, I have a pair of "D"s and they are very crispy and featherweight.

So if anyone as a 100% genuine LAH nco or officer cypher to spare, let me know!

[Dr. Strangelove]

Spare?

A Spare? Oh Man that's a TALL ORDER, nobody gives them up anymore. Unless they are cast.

[SJP]

Steve, Nice homework! Where is the cast on the right from.

Here........http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=349640

It was from this board(s)
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Cheers Steve