Eisernes Kreuz 1.Klasse Marked L21 - Opinioms Please

**ETF** · 03-08-2013, 03:55 PM

Hello All,

Can I get opininions on this IC? Is it a good one or a reproduction?

Thanks in adavnce for your replys.

Ed

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 03-08-2013 03:55 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Adrian** · 03-08-2013, 04:27 PM

Unfortunately a Floch fake. The distinctive date numerals are easy to identify on these fakes.

**ETF** · 03-08-2013, 04:48 PM

Thanks Adrian.
Ed

**Adrian** · 03-08-2013, 04:50 PM

Sorry about that Ed, try a search in this forum for 'Floch' and you will see plenty of examples.

The other give away is that L/21 is the LDO number given to Forster & Barth who didn't make EKs......

**ETF** · 03-08-2013, 05:32 PM

Thanks again Adrian. I'll do now what I should have done before I bought it.....My Homework. It's a lesson to learn from.

Ed

**Woolgar** · 03-08-2013, 11:50 PM

Adrian is correct on his diagnosis

Nick

**ETF** · 03-09-2013, 01:45 AM

Thanks Nick. I knew Adrian was right when I got his message. I'm just mad at myself for making an impulsive buy before I did due diligence and researched the item. As a result, I made an uniformed decision and got "burned". I hope other new and inexperienced collectors learn from my costly mistake and study, research and get expert opinions on an item they are considering buying before making a purchase. It's a mine field out there...and that's an understatement.

Ed

**tempelhof** · 03-09-2013, 09:20 PM

if by your statement you are classifying yourself as a relatively inexperienced collector, i would take advantage of the forum before any purchase.

people are your best resource. these trump any other.

you have, in this forum, the best out there both in terms of experience and in terms of having the willingness and enthusiasm to help.

post before you buy. nothing will get past the members here.

it's an insurance policy you pay nothing for. become a paying member, and it's still an insurance policy cheaper than any other which will, no doubt, pay for itself very quickly.

**kirby** · 03-09-2013, 10:42 PM

The forums are a great source of information. I love having the forums on my phone. I can just run a search and pull up a photo and look at an item in hand and on the screen at the same time. I have picked up a couple of nice badges I would have passed up without the side by side. I also avoided a nice looking SS skull that looked real but wasn't.

**ETF** · 03-10-2013, 06:46 AM

Thanks Tempelhof and kirby. I agree wholeheartedly with you. The forum is a terrific source of information on militaria. I have also avoided buying items that looked good but weren't authentic by checking first on the forum. And I have bought some items that I might not have but did after posting it on the forum. I almost always post an item on the forum before I buy anything. I bought this IC (which I had no original intention of buying) on an 'on line auction' and made a spur of the moment emotional decision. It turned out to be an uniformed decision which cost me some hard earned money. Lesson learned.

I agree with you that the members on this forum are extremely knowledgeable and always willing to help. Thank you all for your help and support. I greatly appreciate it.

Kind Regards,
Ed