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SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

Article about: Hey, guys! I have been offered an SS 8-year service medal (type II) in excellent condition, and after examining it, I'm fairly certain of its authenticity. I thought I'd post it here so that

  1. #1

    Default SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    Hey, guys! I have been offered an SS 8-year service medal (type II) in excellent condition, and after examining it, I'm fairly certain of its authenticity. I thought I'd post it here so that I can get some second opinions. So, here are some pictures:

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    The medal comes with a 30mm cornflower blue watered silk ribbon. The ribbons on these medals have always been a point of concern for me, as I have seen many different textures and widths used on original pieces. I'd love to hear whether you guys think this ribbon is authentic.

    Here are some closeup shots (click to enlarge them):

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    The front side shows the distinct pebbling and crisp detail that I find so attractive in the type 2 medals. The medal has a nice finish, with no noticeable flaws. The wreath has the correct thorned leaves, and the wrapping at the wrappings at the bottom are also consistent with authentic pieces. The corners of the swastika touch the edge of the medal, which is a characteristic I look for on type 2 medals (type 1 medals, however, do not have this trait). Everything on the front side looks good to me.

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    The backside has a slightly lighter finish on it, which makes me wonder if this medal was worn. The lettering is proper, with a different type of "R" used in the word "Treue," as well as the slightly lower "E" used at the end of "Dienste." The runes also have the thicker middle lines (unlike those found on type 1 medals, which have thinner middle lines). We can also see the slightly wider lower left side of the "8," another characteristic of authentic pieces. The only thing that I noticed that seemed somewhat odd to me was that the eyelet at the top of the medal is not completely centered over the "8" (it is, however, centered over the swastika on the front side). It's as if the backside die was slightly rotated. I checked out some known examples, and found this exact same characteristic on some (see below). Overall, the backside looks fine to me.

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    Anyway, on to the eyelet and suspension ring:

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    We can see that this medal has the correct "ridged" eyelet soldered to it, as well as the slightly "squeezed" oblong suspension ring, which appears to be soldered at the bottom (although it's a little hard to see). Overall, the rings look good to me, too.

    So, what do you guys think? In my opinion, this is a very nice authentic example of a type 2 medal. I am heavily considering purchasing it...

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  3. #2

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    looks fine imo.

  4. #3

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    Looks good to me too.
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  5. #4

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    I appreciate the votes of confidence, guys! I've been looking for one of these for a while now, but none of the ones I've seen have been minty enough for me (I'm picky ). This one is a really beautiful example, so I'll be happy to add it to my collection. I'm currently in the process of "sealing the deal." I feel great!

  6. #5

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    A Nice medal and genuine issue. The ribbon looks fine as well-despite the flash making it look abit sparkly. The folds in the ribbon where it threads through the loop make it sit awkwardly in the teardrop, but this is normal and commonly seen too. This is a Good one-no problems!
    William

    "Much that once was, is lost. For none now live who remember it."

  7. #6

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    IMO good...my example does not exhibit the mis-aligned reverse die as per your example although I believe they are both Petz & Lorenz?

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please! SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

  8. #7

    Default

    Double post...nothing to see here, carry on...

  9. #8

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    Yes, Glenn, they are both type 2 (sometimes called the "P&L" type). Yours is one of the nicest I've seen! I have encountered a number of authentic type 2 medals with the slightly rotated backsides, so at some point, one of the dies must have gotten misaligned a bit. Here are 2 examples (as well as the medal in question) with center lines drawn through the middle of the "8" to show how the eyelet sits off to one side:

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    We can see that on the front side, however, the eyelet is perfectly aligned with the center of the swastika:

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    I have never seen this characteristic mentioned before, so it is worth noting for future collectors... I'll admit that the misalignment bothers the perfectionist in me just a little, but it is the front of the medal that will be displayed anyway, so it's not that big of a deal for me.

  10. #9

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    I found one more example of an authentic type 2 medal with a misaligned eyelet, but this one is a bit different. In this case, the eyelet is aligned with the center of the "8" on the backside, while it is off-center on the front side. Regardless of the side on which the eyelet is centered, the issue is the result of one of the two faces of the medal being slightly rotated relative to the opposite side. Here are the pictures, for future reference:

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    SS-Dienstauszeichnung (8-year) - Second opinions, please!

    Yes, it's official: I am obsessed with these medals...

  11. #10

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    Like loving a good woman, you have to cope with the imperfections also!

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