ritterkreuz 1957

vista2000 · 02-05-2014, 02:10 PM

hello everyone

I am a young collector of medals and I'm looking for opinions on this ritterkreuz, I started in the 57

thank you

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 02-05-2014 02:10 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**oradour** · 02-05-2014, 03:12 PM

Hi, I do not know who I am talking to, I prefer first names than usernames, but any how, welcome to the forum and in particular the Bundeswehr section, which also caters for 1957 awards & medal collectors.....You show a late production Knights Cross by Steinhauer und Luck, it is the "D" frame RK produced between the late 1970's to around 2005, although still shown on their price lists today !
Available with either silver or silver plated frames, if silver it would marked with either a silver content mark "800" or "925" on the rear arm's top or bottom......the core will be non magnetic and painted after construction.
A lot of collectors dislike these later crosses, dismissing them as for collectors only.......However they are genuine RK's and represent the last in the timeline from 1957 to 2005.
The quality of these later crosses can be quite poor when compared to early crosses of the "B" & "C" framed versions.....bad soldering, splits in the frame, sloppy paint jobs etc.
It looks like yours is boxed. The swords & oaks are also from the same maker and era as the cross, they are not marked so not silver, but plated.
Prost ! Steve.

vista2000 · 02-05-2014, 03:27 PM

thank you steve for your quick answer, my name is stephan

Best regards

**Tango** · 02-05-2014, 04:34 PM

Good going Steve.. & thanks for showing this Cross so we can learn a little Stephan.. Cheers Terry.

**oradour** · 02-05-2014, 06:37 PM

by vista2000

thank you steve for your quick answer, my name is stephan

Best regards

Hi Stephan, your welcome ! I forgot to add that this is a good cross to start a 57er collection with, I have four of these late RK's in my collection, I like them !
Remember folks, this is the type of RK that veterans from the newly absorbed DDR into a unified Germany would of bought in the 1990's............
Prost ! Steve.

**harryamb2** · 02-05-2014, 08:07 PM

nicely explained Steve.

**oradour** · 02-12-2014, 06:31 PM

Here's one of my "D" frame RK's, for comparison, from the late 1980's, decent soldering on this example, with non magnetic core which is painted after assembly, quality was going down hill !
Prost ! Steve.