OK, I have finally gotten the information I needed regarding the "tablets" or paperweights that have been so heavily counterfeited. In an earlier post I asked anyone who had a genuine iron example to post it. Instead of posting their examples, both of these people contacted me by email. These photos together with several sources made it possible to put it all together so that those of us who collect these things can readily recognize the genuine item from the fakes. Both designs are legitimate but the legitimacy of the article rests on whether or not the article is made of iron. If it isn't iron, it isn't genuine. And no matter what metal is used, if it's cast it's a fake. The photos below are genuine artifacts.
Example designed for the American Committee for the Relief of Widows and Orphans of the War in Germany and die-stamped by Interboro Medal & Badge Company, NY
Edge
Note the sharpness of the detail and the square (unrounded) edge.
Example designed for the Prisoners of War Relief Committee and
struck by Interboro Medal & Badge Co., NY
Dave Schenkman collection
Reverse side of the same example
Dave Schenkman collection
When the U-Deutschland was in Baltimore in July 1916, several tons of her ballast were given to two wartime charitable groups to use for fund-raising. The two organizations were the Prisoners of War Relief Committee and the American Relief Committee for Widows and Orphans of the War in Germany. Both groups commissioned Hans Schuler, a Baltimore sculptor, to design souvenirs that would be sold along the Eastern Seaboard to raise money for the groups’ causes. The two charity groups sent the Schuler designs and the cast iron ballast to Interboro Medal and Badge Company in New York to make the souvenirs, which were die struck. Schuler had created two very similar designs for these paperweights which are 2-inches by 3.25 inches and have nearly identical wording. The version with the sun and U-boat was made for the Prisoners of War Relief Committee, and other version with the oncoming U-boat was created for the American Committee for Relief of Widows and Orphans of the War in Germany. Both had headquarters in New York, and both were registered with the United States Department of State. Both versions have sharp detail and square (un-rounded) edges. Any examples of these paperweights that are purportedly genuine but are made of any metal other than iron, are fakes. Dwight
Sources: Records of the Department of State, RG59, M367, Roll 179, File 763.72111/2670, "Prisoners of War Relief Committee Statement of the First Year Ending October 1916," ; Dave Schenkman, "A Relic Medal of the German Submarine Deutschland," published in Numismatist, American Numistic Society, and reproduced online in E-Sylum, Numismatic Bibliomania Society, vol. 15, No. 26, 24 June 2012, Article 14.; Jörg Nimmergut, "Ein Erinnerungskreuz besonderer Art," Orden-Miltar-Magazine 1990; and Reinhard Bense, "Paul Lebrecht König--Kapitän des Handels-U-Bootes U-Deutschland," Militaria, 1/2011, pp. 4-14.
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