Pair of LAH shoulderboards

[viva_giulio]

new frontal pictures shown a really crude cut... but they are the best copies (?) ever seen.

Cast copies usually are really easy to spot in this case i don't like the lower border but details are really perfect.

Here some pics of my cyphers

[viva_giulio]

..

[viva_giulio]

However i think about a lot of genuine cyphers were considered fake.

Note that the crude, or better not perfect, cut inside L - A - H areas are common also in originals.

It's also possible to find small external areas (bottom-right of L and A) showing used border.

Rounded angle on upper and bottom letter L.

[Excelsior]

Lah

What about the closed part of the lower left side of the 'H'?

See attached picture of a shoulderboard from a 'reputable' collection. Excuse for the small picture, but once magnified, clearly visible.

Is this one of the characteristics of an original cypher?

Regards

[viva_giulio]

Closed space on H it's not a problem. Just different type.

[SJP]

Hi VG. (IMO) the one's you posted are copies.They look OK from the front side but the obverse is the key.

Like yours these also appear fine until the obverse is exposed.
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Cheers Steve

[viva_giulio]

I respect your opinion, but i have another one... moreover i can see something about back.

The back portions i can see don't show any cast evidence on border, show same colour that's very similar to the front just a little dark for obvious reasons.

The cypher you posted has wrong evidence also on the front. See lower part of L, lower right part of H, upper right angle of H and so on.

[viva_giulio]

PS: check your database and find a fake could show with perfect resolution the last line on the upper part of H

[Excelsior]

LAH shoulderboards

I don't think we are comparing the same shoulderboards here.

IMO we are comparing aluminium versions and cupal versions, which do not show the same production characteristics.

For those who have the opportunity to have a look at the upcoming auktion at Hermann Historica, there is a very big collection of W-SS insignia coming up for sale. Here there are plenty examples of cyphers (alu and die-struck cupal) to look at in close detail.

IMO not a big difference looking at a GD, D, G or any other cypher. I would say these are all made according to the same product specs at that time.

There is one LAH cypher for sale, unfortunately, an aluminium version. If you look in the details you see a specific error on the left side of the 'A' which is not the same as the right side, though symmetrical.

I agree that they should all have this high degree of precision and detail which gives them that clear lettering, especially the ones for EM/NCO's (white on black) i.s.o. the officers versions (yellow on white).

We could also start posting all the fakes which are currently for sale, but IMO won't bring much in the discussion.

Then, they all meet some specific characterisitcs as this specific patina, their precision (on the inside and the outside of the lettering), and their specific defaults....

These are of course just my 2 cents.

Regards

[jimt]

lah

Where is Dr. Strangelove when you need him ???

[viva_giulio]

...Jim, i think you can teach us something! wellcome back.