How do you spot the fakes?

**Monuir** · 10-08-2010, 04:48 AM

I've recently started collecting some WW2 medals, but there seems to be so many fakes out there, and as a rookie i feel overwhelmed and every time i get an opportunity to buy or trade me a medal, because i am worrying about the medal being fake.. I would appreciate all tips for discovering the fakes, with medals from all country's, Germany, USSR, etc.. Thanks!

**ObKrieger** · 10-08-2010, 06:01 AM

Every medal, badge, helmet, uniform, etc. has its own unique flaws. There a several known fakes of almost everything. The best thing to do is study solid originals, get a feel for them, learn the known fakes of whatever it is you collect the most, and post every item you find on here so that we can all take a look at it. Learn everything slow and steady.

6 posts may be a little late but welcome to the forum!

**Woolgar** · 10-08-2010, 07:55 AM

You have a great resource within this forum, time and experience will help. I keep pictures of fakes so I can compare.

We are all here to help and advise. Happy collecting and be sure to show us some of your items

Nick

**Monuir** · 10-08-2010, 09:46 AM

Thanks, that was actually very comforting

**Adrian Stevenson** · 10-08-2010, 09:59 AM

Take things slowly and try and specialise in one or two fields to start with. There will be a huge amount for you to learn. As Nick says, you have come to the right place.

Buy books too and go to shows to handle items, even handling fakes is a good education.

Do not buy anything without running it past the forum until you learn.

Cheers, Ade.

**Monuir** · 10-08-2010, 10:20 AM

Thank you very much, many good advices.. Adrian i think you are right when saying it would be best to specialize in two fields to start with! I'm thinking of only collecting medals and field post to start with.. German field post is very interesting to translate, and it feels really cool to actually be able to read and hold a letter some solider from the front have written! I am currently bidding on some German field post from WW2, it has letters and stamp on the envelops, will upload some photos soon so someone can verify if they are authentic. It's really hard to say when not educated in the subject.. Another question! I want my first medal to my collection to be the German Iron Cross! What fakes should i watch out for? And how much should i pay for a class 1 or class 2 iron cross? Thank you all so much =) Also sorry for all spelling errors, i am Swedish.. Cheers!

**Adrian Stevenson** · 10-08-2010, 10:24 AM

Your English beats my Swedish! Your spelling is fine.

Please see the German orders and decorations forum: there is a huge amount of info there about the Iron Cross. Prices vary a little worldwide.

Cheers, Ade.

**ObKrieger** · 10-08-2010, 10:39 AM

The EK (Eisernes Kreuz) is one of the most faked items in the world of militaria. If you find one, make sure you post it here and someone will be able to tell you if it's good or fake and why it's good or fake. The EKII is a great medal to start with. Marked examples are more sought after and there are a few variants that are very rare such as the Ubergrosse, the Schinckelform, the Round 3, etc. You can find several online resouces that you can use to learn all about EKII's. Here are a few good links that I would recommend:

Iron Cross -This is a great page that is very useful for researching all types of German awards from WWII.

eMedals -When you go to buy an EK, this is a great site to visit. They have medals and badges of all kinds for pretty good prices. I have bought from them a couple times with no problem whatsoever.

Iron Cross 2nd Class Makers markings. - World War II Forums -I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post this one here, but it's a list of maker's marks that you will find in the backs of EKI's and on the ribbon rings of EKII's. Some are slightly harder to find such as 113 and 106.

Also, make sure you search the forums for original EK's that the good folks here have posted. Study them hard.

Happy hunting!

**Adrian** · 10-08-2010, 10:59 AM

A little late but again, welcome to the forum.

Some very good advice has been given already but I'll add my thoughts too.
Your first objective would be to decide which field of interest you wish to follow. Collect items that you are happiest with. When I started collecting I bought anything I could, then I realised I couldn't continue in this way and so I refined my main collecting interest to Iron Crosses (EKs).
When you've decided that, learn about your subject, study books, study the forum especially and study examples if you can. Never be afraid to ask! You can't learn everything without asking questions as you go, there is no question that can't be answered by the members here and it doesn't matter if you think it might be daft, just ask it. We all started somewhere and we are all still learning.
Once you've decided on something you want to buy - ask again! We would rather see you spend your money on good items from the start than tell you to send something back and try and get a refund when it's too late.
You won't learn everything in a day, a week or even a year, experience is a key thing. Don't be put off, each time you read the forum you'll learn something and as your collection grows, so will your experience and in time you'll develop the confidence to make decisions on which items you want in your collection.
If you have any specific questions relating to the Iron Cross, post them in the Third Reich Decorations forum. There are many examples posted there and much to read and learn from. Visit dealers websites, see the various medals and awards there and look at the prices to get a feel of the current market. Some will be more expensive than others but again, please ask for opinions on prices too. No point spending €100 on a medal when an identical example can be found for €70 elsewhere.