ss 8 year long service real or fake

[Military Antiques Toronto]

Hi everybody

Can you please advise your thoughts on this 8 year SS long service medal. Thanks
Dave

[ValhallaMilitaria]

This one's a head scratcher for me, the grainy detail in the background is good, the strike for the eight is not so good, the suspension loop attached to the medal lacks the high central rib I look for when evaluating these and I don't care much for the ribbon loop. The detail of the grainy background is what throws me, the fakes usually lack this but here it is present. Based on my other issues though I would not be rushing to buy this medal. I will be very interested to read some other comments on it though.
Eric

[Military Antiques Toronto]

Hi Eric

Thanks for your thoughts. I too have issues with this but mostly my biggest issue is a cast line on the edge of the medal which I do no like. Since I have never had one of these I assume that a cast line would never be on an original?
Dave

[Michael73]

Not original..

[J C Gray]

This one is the 'thorny' fake which has been attributed to Souval, postwar. The pointed protrusions between the oakleaves are far too exaggerated and the stippling is too coarse and bubbly...and the less said about the lettering the better. There is a 4 year version with the same bubbled finish going about also. These have been around since (at least) the '70s and unfortunately since they once appeared as original examples in a publication by a certain respected dealer, they now appear regularly across the globe (as originals) on various other dealers' sites.

[Military Antiques Toronto]

Hi JC

Thanks for your thoughts and I greatly appreciate you letting me know. This was purchased by a customer of mine from a well known dealer in upper NY state so I guess he is going to be getting a phone call

Dave

[all1knew]

This one is the 'thorny' fake which has been attributed to Souval, postwar. The pointed protrusions between the oakleaves are far too exaggerated and the stippling is too coarse and bubbly...

thank you for explaining this, very helpful and I didn't even know of this fake.

William Kramer

[J C Gray]

No probs. At first glance it appears kinda like the 8 year in the Petz & Lorenz catalogue, which is also used to try and justify its originality, but on closer inspection, the original P&L version does not have the bubbled background and the wreath binder is totally different and the Crown of Thorns appearance to the wreath is just caused by shadowing.

[Stossgruppe3]

Its not something I would be happy with .....
Regards
Davidf

[ValhallaMilitaria]

Thanks for the new info on this fake, first time seeing it for me. I would've passed on it based on just the info I had at first though, too many red flags.

[Frankenland-Dan]

"lacks the high central rib I look for when evaluating these and I don't care much for the ribbon loop"

-think this guy is on it!

[Antonio Scapini]

It is a well known medal produced from Souval post war.
Souval made post war quite all the crosses-medals-badges existing during the TR era, for some he had the dies he used during the war, for others he created new dies.

[maestro]

not good