wwi patriotic medallions

[maxrsx]

original or not?

[drmessimer]

Looking at yours, my bet would be that the one on the left was probably made during WWI, but the one on the right is questionable. Patriotic pins of all kinds and quality were big in Germany from 1914-18 and they were manufactured for every price range, and nearly all of them were an iron cross which most often looked like the one on the left. I notice that both of yours appear to have a maker’s hallmark on them, which is good. The quality of the pins I have seen range from very nice to junk, so using apparent quality as a benchmark is not always a sure way to make judgement. Some were silver plate over iron or brass, others were just cast iron, and a few were solid silver. The only feature about yours that raises a doubt in my mind is the apparent lack of wear and aging. But maybe they were cleaned up for the photos.

For comparison, this is one that I picked up in Berlin in 1957 from a street vendor who was had boxes filled with medals, pins, and jewelry. It has no maker’s hallmark and is probably silver plate over brass, because whatever it is a non-ferrous metal, and I don’t think it’s solid silver. It’s what I call a medium-level quality pin. Dwight

[Walkwolf]

Nice patriotic pins, and it is likely that the one on the right was made
sometime after WWI, as stated. I do like both of them.

Dwight, it's good that you hung on to your badge all this time.
It's a really great looking piece.........!

[Wagriff]

Looking at them both, I believe that both watch fobs were made not all that long ago. They just don't seem to have the appearance of knocking around and being handled for nearly a century-no patina,etc. They are both marked silver but the suspension ring holes show almost no wear, which silver certainly should after such time. If you collect fobs, then you already know that so many silver ones of any age that you find will show their rings getting quite thin and almost wearing through. Dwight's pin, on the other hand, shows Very clear aging signs and wear.

[maxrsx]

I doubted, original left medallion. Medallions were cleared from the patina. There is a small wear.
Probably not long time, used (carry). With the stigma. Left 800, Right W w h 835.
Scrawled letters on the right of the medallion (M.M Ali) as I understand.

[maxrsx]

Thank you for answers.