Kriegsmarine Honor Roll Clasp: Hoping for a better answer

[Bobki52]

Please give me your thoughts on this Kriegsmarine Honor Roll Clasp. I can unpin it from the ribbon if that will help.

[KSH]

Well, I can't give you a definitive verdict on this clasp as to its authenticity, but I can say this: Personally I don't feel good about it at all. First of all, these are EXTREMELY rare. I have seen it estimated that around 60 clasps were awarded during the war due to its very late institution. The Kriegsmarine Honor Roll Clasp is by far the rarest of the Honor Roll Clasps. Furthermore, as far as I know all known originals were produced by a single stamping and are hollow. The badge in question seems to me at least to be a quite crude casting job. Take a look at the reverse of the clasp (there is no need to remove it from the ribbon for this, just bend the ribbon a little) and check if it's solid. If it is solid, then according to my information it is a reproduction. So in short, I won't say for sure that it is bogus, let's just say it doesn't convince me personally.

- Kenneth

[davejb]

Not an expert by no means on these , but a general opinion, i would have to agree with Kenneth here, the obverse stamping looks very crude, more like an unfinished item, the Anchor bar above is offset as opposed to the anchor shaft and the swastika doesnt have a clearly defined finish to it, to me its something that i would think twice about, seeing this on sale as an original item, and rightly or wrongly i would give it a miss

[Adrian]

No chance for this one unfortunately. The biggest error for me is that whoever made it forgot to put in the anchor shaft. There is nothing holding the top of the anchor to the bottom behind the swastika. On original clasps you will see it in between the arms of the swastika.
The quality is very poor and there are many details missing on the wreath.

[KSH]

No chance for this one unfortunately. The biggest error for me is that whoever made it forgot to put in the anchor shaft. There is nothing holding the top of the anchor to the bottom behind the swastika. On original clasps you will see it in between the arms of the swastika.
The quality is very poor and there are many details missing on the wreath.

That's the first thing I should have noticed! Guess I didn't see the forest for the trees..

- Kenneth

[Bobki52]

You guys are killing me.

For the sake of comparison, does this clasp look any better? Also, simply as an FYI I have also attached a pic of the back of my clasp.

Bob

[Adrian]

You guys are killing me.

Ona positive note - the ribbon looks OK!

The detail looks too soft on the second one but it might be the flash has washed it out.

[Bobki52]

Yea, the flash all but ruins the detail on this one, but it's not my shot. This is a very low-res shot that Craig Gottlieb sent me. Per your criticism of mine, I notice that the anchor shaft is complete.

Thanks guys. Bob

[Woolgar]

It amazes me how some fakers can miss such detail ! Idiots !!

Nick