Thanks for your response. The war booty bird has a very different finish than my skull ( less shiny ). If they were yours would you display the two as a set or should I be looking for a more polished bird to match ?
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I have a couple of aluminum sets like this in my collection, (one polished/worn and the other one mint/dull with perfect finish). Of course, it doesn't make a perfect match for a visor, but it can be very difficult to find a matching set of aluminum insignia, since most of them are extremely rare. One good thing about aluminum items, is that they are always the same basic color and do not normally age or darken. So, a set like this does not stick out like a mismatched CupAl or zinc set, etc. Furthermore, any aluminum SS eagle is at least three times rarer than the aluminum Deschler skulls. I was lucky to obtain one by each maker, and most of them are missing prongs. Actual aluminum prongs are extremely fragile and are almost always broken.
Just my thoughts,
ChrisLast edited by SScollector; 06-10-2017, 10:55 AM.Comment
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Alu Hicke - Deschler combination , both slightly darkened / dirty ..Comment
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Alu Zimmermann + Deschler , polished to a shine .Comment
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Amazing! Simply put, that Hicke is one of the rarest of the rare, as far as eagles go.
Zimmermann, not so rare, but a beautiful example. I love aluminum stuff more than anything else that was ever used during the third Reich. Thanks for posting!
ChrisComment
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Alu Deschler + Deschler , somewhere in between ..Comment
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Wow again!
Just by the die flaws on the front, I believe that your Deschler eagle would have either the round cone crimps with brass prongs, or the super rare box crimps like the aluminum Deschler skulls have. I would guess the cones are what you have. Please tell us.
ChrisComment
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Indeed just the cone version ( with the closed cones , not the open ones ) , but with both pins still firm . The skull is the one with the " misaligned " marking = M1 straight underneath the RZM circle , no pins ..Originally posted by SScollector View Post
Last edited by Winkelman; 06-11-2017, 08:22 PM.Comment
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Just curious, does anyone else know how to tell the difference between the Deschler aluminum eagles by the front side?
ChrisComment
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Well , I know there is an alu version with a rounder beak , but never noticed it was connected to the reverse setup .. ?
Yep , that must be it - open cones a round beak , closed cones & boxes a square beak ( like Cupal ) .
( And it's all going to be in the book .. ! )Last edited by Winkelman; 06-11-2017, 08:31 PM.Comment
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Thankyou for posting these Winkelman........wonderful stuff. Not sure I've seen a Hicke before , not sure I could tell the difference yet from the front side.
Can we see the reverse sides ?Comment
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You got it right, but there is one more difference and I will explain in a few...
ChrisComment
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Hello Coogan ,
you can tell a Hicke instantly by the back of the head = very square , crewcut , and the short beak .
Also the chest feathers are not of the usual configuration all others have ( only Overhoff has a distinct pattern too ) .
Second picture is of a zinc version , cap by Robin Lumsden .Comment
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The markings and prong crimps are different on the zinc versions, as is the area around the swastika. The aluminum ones have the typical pebbling around the swastika, whereas the zinc versions have more of a "straight line" effect around the swastika.
Here are some pictures of some of my zinc Hicke eagles.
Also, notice that the one with three prongs is earlier and has the rarer nickel plated finish. The late-war example with two prongs has the more common painted finish.
ChrisComment
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Here, you can see a more close-up view of the lines around the swastika.
This is typical of the zinc Hicke eagles. Keep in mind that this one is nickel plated and with three prongs.
ChrisComment
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