Need Help Fake/Repro One Piece Stamped Brass German Imperial Belt Buckle? WW1 WWI Gott Mit Uns

[Ben Evans]

Interesting buckle actually, look at the prongs gents, they are Overhoff made as found on early nickel SS buckles. The angle clipped prongs mentioned above are the OLT ones, not these. Berge and Nolte also had angle clipped prongs, I am at work at moment so will post examples later

[CCMJR]

Ben,

I am not familiar with the manufacture of post-WWI buckles, so there may well be a type with clipped prongs. This type, however, has been used since at least the 1980's to make very poor quality reproductions. Over time, the buckle materials have gotten better, but they continue to use the same machine to angle cut the ends of the prongs. That part has never changed. The cuts on either side are are different, but always identical from buckle to buckle. It is always made from chromed steel (which was never used in WWI), though sometimes artificially aged to produce a rusted surface.

[Ben Evans]

Ben,

I am not familiar with the manufacture of post-WWI buckles, so there may well be a type with clipped prongs. This type, however, has been used since at least the 1980's to make very poor quality reproductions. Over time, the buckle materials have gotten better, but they continue to use the same machine to angle cut the ends of the prongs. That part has never changed. The cuts on either side are are different, but always identical from buckle to buckle. It is always made from chromed steel (which was never used in WWI), though sometimes artificially aged to produce a rusted surface.

Can you provide pictures please?

[CCMJR]

Hello Ben,

I do not retain photos of reproduction buckles myself, but it you go to the website of koppelschloss.de and look under the "Kopien" heading, you will find several examples of this type of fake, which include the same prongs and the same keeper with the wide "feet" that we have seen in the buckle being discussed. These copies, as I have mentioned, have been identified for many years. You never heard of them? They are well known by buckle collectors here in the States and I think member, ww1czechlegion, who has a fine imperial buckle collection, will back me up on this.

CCMJR

[aicusv]

I've been collecting buckles for over 50 years and have always considered the single piece brass buckles as post war production. The single piece buckles weren't made until 1915 at that point Germany had already restricted the use of brass. So it never made sense to me that they would have made brass buckles. As to the cut of the prongs, I've always used this as a "tell" for copies.
I should state that to me anything not issued before Nov.11, 1918 as a copy.

[CCMJR]

Of course, there were many buckles produced during the war that were never issued before the armistice that are not copies. American occupation forces found many hundreds of them in warehouses, most of which were sent to the U.S. as war booty and were later distributed to the states or eventually sold. These were for the most part, the so-called M15 Prussian feldgrau buckles and they came in crates, still in their packing papers.

[aicusv]

Of course, there were many buckles produced during the war that were never issued before the armistice that are not copies. American occupation forces found many hundreds of them in warehouses, most of which were sent to the U.S. as war booty and were later distributed to the states or eventually sold. These were for the most part, the so-called M15 Prussian feldgrau buckles and they came in crates, still in their packing papers.

Years back I actually purchased a group of those "Bond Buckles" directly out of the crate. My collection is limited to only enlisted men's buckles and I guess I should've said "as issued". Although, I do have some private purchase and officer buckles, but they are as a side bar to my collection.

[kirby]

I bought some of those around 73-75. They were something like $2 each or 3 for $5. Most common TR buckles were around $5 each.