Reichsbahn in zinc discussion of his life.Help!!!

[Makalash]

Hello Wilhelm ....For a little clarification ...with the translation of Google is not clear. On aluminum buckles, gilding can crumble completely, and on buckles zinc in any case in some corner will always remain. Did I understand you correctly Wilhelm !?

[Wilhelm Saris]

Hello Wilhelm ....For a little clarification ...with the translation of Google is not clear. On aluminum buckles, gilding can crumble completely, and on buckles zinc in any case in some corner will always remain. Did I understand you correctly Wilhelm !?

No, the translation is not correct. With aluminum and light-weight metals the gilding hardly can
disappear. Maybe here and there, caused by damaging. This is told to me by a German manufacturer
at Lüdenscheid, who did gilding during the TR-period. I visited some concerns in the 1970's. This
concern did some gilding for me, I then decided to stop collecting. I was not able to see the difference
between gilding done before 1945 or after (RAD officers, police officers and army officers buckle).

Only when the material was inferior it could chipp of, but not even completely! I have seen SS
officers buckles gilded, but it was immediately visible this was bogus. The surface was not okay
(as it was somewhat corroded) and so the depth parts (the corroded parts) were also gilded. These
parts had to show the aluminum or light-weight metal! Is there a reason for golden SS officers
buckles?