Deutsches Kreuz in Gold S&L

[bioshock12]

Hi, could you please confirm it might be original from Steinhauer & Luck manufacturer ?

[Adrian]

The Steinhauer & Lück DKiG are similar to Souval. There will always be doubt over when they were made.
Most collectors wouldn't buy one because of the unknown factor.
S&L got the contract to make these pieces in July 1944, less than a year before the war ended.
Some folk say that if it has a '4' on the pin it was made before May 1945 and those unmarked are post war.
Others say that all S&L pieces are post war made and assembled.

I quote this from Dietrich Maerz:

Fact is this: the VP of S&L has stated in the early 70s that he got an order for gold and silver DKs in July 44. When they were made, they would have been marked “4”, just like the war-time 935-4 and 800-4. Since there are unmarked DKs from S&l àlso, just like the numerous non-4 marked post-war B-Type RKs, it makes sense, based on the evidence, that the 4-marked DKs are war-time. They just did not make it to Berlin. And they are quite rare.
Such are the facts and based on that one can ‘believe’ whatever one wants.

So, based upon the fact the example above has no maker's mark that I can see, it's more likely to be a post war example.

[bioshock12]

Thank you Adrian, good to know.

[Adrian]

It will still have a value to a collector, someone who is a dedicated to collecting variants of the DK but with doubts hanging over it, not the value of a known wartime example.