International Militaria Article - Spot the Fake Part 2

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Spot the Fake - Part 2

This is the reverse of the reproduction. On the bottom center is inscribed DCF & Co. 1940. According to the specialist we consulted, this company never even existed! A dead giveaway for an expert, but for the average collector who doesn't have access to such specialized knowledge, not an obvious indication of authenticity. In fact, the lettering here could easily throw you, as the letters DCF appear to be worn smooth by time and use. The type and quality of the steel in this fake is quite good, too. A common practice among forgers is to stamp a piece from rusted steel, and then 'bake' the item in an oven to give the appearance of stressed, aged metal.

The face of the forgery is so finely detailed that at first glance it appears to be of better quality than the original on the bottom of the photo. (Kudos for you if you spotted the fake!) For instance, the shape of the eagle, in particular the head, actually looks better in the fake. However, there are several subtle differences in craftsmanship. Though the circular rope edging on the fake looks crisp and well defined, the rope edging on the original is of higher quality as it's more tightly knit together and would have taken more time and care to produce. The font types used in the lettering are quite different and while the lettering in the fake may look well enough, it's not without error. The letters TT in the word GOTT are different sizes and the words are squashed together, leaving virtually no spacing between.

Most forgers are competent at reproducing the face of an item, but where they often fall down is in the joinery, due perhaps to sloppy workmanship, or cost cutting in the reproduction. Fine details like hook and pin assembly usually fail to meet the standards of the original. Such differences in quality become obvious when you compare these two pieces side by side. Notice, for example, the smoothly rounded edges of the hook and fine soldering in the original on the left. Likewise, where the metalwork is turned inwards to meet the prong clip, the original edging is smooth, but on the fake the edge is rough, elongated and protrudes slightly outwards. Another small difference is that the prongs on the original are tapered on all sides, while the copy is sharply edged on the outside only. Whereas the actual materials used in metalwork may have declined during the war years, the craftsmanship never declined on the same scale. Although this is a very good reproduction of the original, after 60 years of stress and strain on the original item the quality holds true to this day.

One source believes this and similar fakes are being produced in Czechoslovakia and unfortunately, as many collectors are aware, original dyes are being used to reproduce objects from that period, making them that much harder to detect.

If you have any further knowledge about this or other fakes, have a question to ask or a story to tell, we'd like to hear from you. Please contact the webmaster and we'll make every attempt to include your story on our site.