Ww1 iron cross are these real?

[Andy Holmes]

Looking to buy these two are they real or not please thanks in advance

[Rob B]

Andy, let me just say German militaria is an absolute mine field as they have been faked for as long as I have been collecting.

However that said I have just checked my First War Iron Cross which I have had for over 30 years and there is nothing about the two you are looking at that causes me to yell NO! 

[AOK4]

They look okay to me.

Edited 16 September , 2018 by AOK4

[dundeesown]

Do they have the Manufacturer`s Mark on the ring ?

Gary

[trench whistle]

Are they three piece construction? I.e a silver front and back frame surrounding an iron core. Hold the medal and shake it to see if the core rattles a bit. The core should be magnetic. They look okay from your photos.

[Andy Holmes]

Thank you guys it's my first time so I am a little shy in putting my hand in my pocket. 

[trench whistle]

Always good to be wary, especially when entering a new collecting area. There were over 5 million EK2s awarded during WWI so I personally feel they have not been heavily faked. In theory they are nearly as common as the BWM, possibly more so now as so many BWMs have been scrapped over the years for their silver content.  Any copies of WWI EK2s I have seen have been just that, easy to spot copies and not out and out fakes to deceive. They just haven't been worth faking well. WWII EKs have always fetched more and have been heavily faked. Though as with all things, if the price goes up it makes fakes more likely. I have 4 EK2s bought over the last twenty years, I note from your photos that they seem to be fetching twice what I paid for mine.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear All, and Andy,

I endorse the aforementioned.

1) The ones you showed seemed okay to me. 2) Literally millions were awarded - despite the fact that the EKII was coveted by all and sundry of all ranks, and by and large was awarded for bravery. 3) Because of the numbers, faking seems simply not worth the trouble.

I would advise to be prepared to pay more, for quality: but retain your wariness. By quality, I mean, say, an EKII mounted with other medals (these latter possibly indicating an Officer - or not!). Or, with an award certificate for the EKII. Even better, with a photo of the recipient!

One could go on and on: here is an example from my collection, for example... 

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[trench whistle]

That's a super group. I have never seen such a large Imperial group offered in the UK, though I do see single EK2s or them paired with a Hindenburg cross fairly often and the occasional EK1.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear trench whistle,

I acquired the group not all that long ago from a well-known London auction house. 

Actually, although an Australian (born in 1944), I have lived in sw Germany for decades. Apart from Dad's and grandfather's MC groups, I also hold the medals, documents and 1914-18 photo albums of my German wife's maternal grandfather, who was a decorated artillery officer from Baden. 

Kindest regards,

Kim.

 

[Loader]

Many yrs ago while still in school I saw a photo in a book that was interesting. It purported to show the first German soldier to be decorated with the EK11 in the great war.

Can't recall much now but might have been a Hussar. Since the cavalry would have been out in front on patrol & scouting it seems possible they would have had the earliest chances to earn the decoration.

 If anyone on here recalls the photo please post it here or at least verify some details as I know I did see it but must've been over 50 yrs ago.

BTW, the medals look ok to me too. It's the WW2 ones that are so heavily faked.

[Kitchener's Bugle]

If you have a magnet then it should stick to it which will quickly rule out a low grade metal fake, but from your images I agree with everyone else that they do look  to be genuine.

[Andy Holmes]

 

Thank you all fantastic information I will buy them thanks again.