57er Souval blank core EK's

**oradour** · 08-23-2012, 11:08 AM

Here is a couple of what I term as rare EK's, blank core post war versions, made by Rudolf Souval of Vienna for Austrian veterans, they are not 1957 versions as I state in the title, that was just to grab your attention, apologies ! but they are related in a way....Souval always a business man, looked for ways to make money after WW2 and took to remaking his (and others !) TR awards for sale to Allied servicemen for souvenirs, these are well known and documented....however in the early 1950's several years before the advent of the 57er's in Germany, Souval was making replacement EK's for Austrian veterans, these crosses were made using wartime parts or parts re struck using wartime dies...the cores were usually non magnetic and their was no soldering, that came later ! the parts were stuck together using old animal glue ! these EK's displayed the Souval characteristics i.e. rounded inner corners, the "claw" outer corners, the bead flaw on the 6 'o' clock arm and the distinctive rear catch ....Souval continued making these crosses well into the 1960's, utilising St u L hardware as he ran out of his old stock.
Here are first and second class Souval crosses I recently acquired, they are both very early in manufacture......the firm Souval is still in business making corporate pins and trophies, but none of the old medal making exists..