Tony, thank you very much for your work. I look forward to wait for new pictures. Good luck to you in your work.
Sincerely, Sergei.
Tony, thank you very much for your work. I look forward to wait for new pictures. Good luck to you in your work.
Sincerely, Sergei.
Hello again GraphiKS.
Looking over your list there is no purely PSZ version listed there, but rather pre and post WW2 Polish production. To keep things simple we’ll include 26, 27, 29 and 30 on this thread as their production could have been intended not only for veterans of the post WW1 “border wars” but also veterans of WW2 as well. Once again we find ourselves in a situation where production information is minimal to non-existent.
For the moment I can only provide you with good pictures of 26 and 29, which are in my collection and were taken just to post here. The other two variants are still to be hunted down (although 27 made a narrow escape last year ) and I do not have any good pictures of them in my archives.
First off, 26:
Krogulec provides the following – 40mm wide x 44mm high by 3.5mm thick. Manufactured "Warszawa?, 1945?", and examples exist in two alloys, 26 being high copper content brass (tombak) and 26b in dark bronze. It is one of only two 1920 dated / crowned eagle crosses measuring 40mm across, the other being #14 on which this cross was patterned. (All others follow the standard 44mm and 36mm widths, established during the Knedler production run of IIRP government issue crosses).
The ribbon ring ‘connector’ consists of a brass ring soldered to the upper cross arm. The ribbon ring on this example is not soldered, contrary to that noted. This could suggest a replacement , variation, or simply incorrect information which, with all due respect to Mr. K, can't be ruled out considering its scarcity. For the record, he deserves all credit for his efforts which remain for us collectors the only body of work devoted to this decoration. He goes on to add that the “perimeter border is flat without an incline, and in many places, especially on the lower arm under the shield, are small protrusions”, which are the dots visible in this example.
While I don’t like to post anecdotal information lest it be interpreted as having supportive evidence and morph into becoming fact, but in my chats with other collectors there’s speculation that this cross may have been the product of the underground resistance. Again, there’s no solid information to back this up, so take it for what it's worth.
(click on photos to magnify in new window)
Stay tuned for 29.
Regards,
Tony
All thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical and/or legal advice.
"Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday." - John Wayne
Tony, thank you very much for a very high-quality photos! I already added them to my little "home" reference. I look forward to wait for the next "gift".
Sincerely, Sergei.
Sergei, you’re most welcome. I’ll add a little story about this 26. I had obtained it years ago when first starting out collecting these, and clueless about the various types. It was only after obtaining the Krogulec book that I was able to identify it. And it was still a while later before I realized just how rare it is. The old Polish saying comes to mind: “nawet ślepa kura znajdzie czasem ziarno” . . . even a blind chicken occasionally finds a kernel of wheat.
I’ll strive to post 29 before too long.
Cheers,
Tony
All thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical and/or legal advice.
"Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday." - John Wayne
Hi, Tony! In Russian, there is a similar saying. In the first part says that newcomers are always lucky. A second part of this saying I'm afraid to write, because when translating it can acquire a completely different meaning, and the person can feel the pain.
I better not say anything! :-)
Sincerely, Sergei.
Haha.. Yes, there are other more colourful ways of saying the same thing. I can think of a couple right off the cuff. But as this is a family friendly site we’d better leave well enough alone!
Cheers,
Tony
All thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical and/or legal advice.
"Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday." - John Wayne
OK, time for the 29. Another of the scarcely seen variants. This cross measure about 43mm across, 47mm total height including the ribbon ring eye, and about 4 mm at its thickest point. It is patterned on the large Type 1 Knedler. Production information in the Krogulec reference is sketchy: “Warsaw? Before 1960?”.
(click on photos to magnify in new window)
The cross die stamped in brass with a dark oxidized finish. As with 26, the ribbon ring on this example is not soldered, contrary to Krogulec’s notes.
The characteristic to watch for in order to quickly pick out one of these crosses is the unique deformity in the middle claw of the eagle’s left talon:
Regards,
Tony
All thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical and/or legal advice.
"Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday." - John Wayne
Thank you, Tony!
As always, very-very-very good photos! I have put them in my home reference. Best of all – a picture of the left talon of an eagle :-)))
Sincerely, Sergei.
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