Interested in opinions on this Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse.

[Adrian]

It's an original cross but I'd be curious to gather thoughts on the maker of this EK2.

[manclino]

This is J. E. Hammer & Sohne PKZ 55.
Robert

[Adrian]

Thank you Robert, I thought it was. It's marked L/14.

[manclino]

L/14? It is very interesting. Can you show the marking?
​Robert

[Adrian]

Yes indeed......

It's not a typical mark you would associate with this maker (at least I've never seen one the same) with the closed top on the '4' but it looks believable.

[manclino]

It's the first time I see something like this. But I probably didn't see enough
I reviewed both the first and second grades. Compare for yourself. Something doesn't match the marking on this 55.
Robert

[Adrian]

I agree, the stamp is very different. The recognised L/14 mark has the closed top on the number 4.
The stamp does appear to have been there for a long time. I guess we will never know how or why it got there. Did a collector long ago do it? Someone wanting to sell? If so, why choose that cross and maker's mark?
On the other hand, Pforzheim isn't far from Austria. Did Orth turn to a maker near the border and request them to fulfil an order that was Hammer & Sohne EKs stamped for L/14?
As you say in the thread you posted earlier today, there are oddities......

[Nick Hessens]

Wasn't this one in a Ratisbon's auction a while back? If I remember correctly, this whole auction was littered with EK with fake markings.

Brehmer with 'L/50', St&L with mm '20', "8 variant" with mm '21', ...

Regards,
Nick

[Adrian]

Yes that's correct. The other EKs went for a lot of money but this one was cheap so I stuck a bid on to get a closer look.