GOETZ: Opus 544 New Today

cacheman

Opus 544: ERICH LUDENDORFF, 1937, Cast AE, 105mm. On the occasion of his death December 20th, 1937. German General. As Chief-of-Staff of the von Hindenburg, he was largely responsible for victories credited to the Field Marshal. Took part in the beerhall-putsch with Adolf Hitler in 1923. The police and soldiers who stopped the demonstration march of the revolutionist on November 9. 1923, did not dare shoot at Ludendorff. With his wife, he later formed a supranational magazine, Am Heiligen Quell Deutscher Kraft (At the holy well of German Strength.) Ludendorff figured prominently in the birth of the so-called Dolchstosslegende (Stab-in-the-back myth of 1918.) There exists a variety of the obverse without the Generals insignia on the collar. Also struck in 36mm & 60mm pieces.

cosmicdebris

Another Great Eagle from Karl.

cacheman

Upon closer inspection of this medal, I have come to the conclusion that it is a sand-cast replica. I may be wrong, but it just doesn't exhibit the usual Goetz qualities. The details are too mushy, the surface too grainy, the patination too controlled (airbrushed I think), and, most telling of all, the rim is concave. I have already writtent to the seller I got it through on ebay and informed him that I was going to have it authenticated. Obviously, if a replica, I will want my money back. Like I said, something just didn't feel right about it and it will be a good lesson if it turns outto be a fake.

Askari

I think you may be right, Scott. My first thought when I saw the pic was that it must have been the seller's because it wasn't up to your usual stuff. If the medal really is that grainy, I would tend to agree with your theory. It is a very nice design, though!

theboz11

Great Photos though.

cacheman

After some further research and talking with another Goetz collector, it appears that this piece is either an aftercast or an electrotype. I lean towards the electrotype because one of the diagnostics of an electrotype medal is the presence of scattered nodules of metal. These nodules, or tiny bumps are very prevalent in this Ludendorff medal. Usually the process used with an electrotype medal is to make an Electro of the Obv and then make another of the Rev. Then the two shells are joined - often filled with lead for heft. You look for a joining lines running along the center of the edge or along the line where the edge meets the rim. The makers of these electrotypes often try to obscure the joining line with heavy filing, or filling and then smoothing. To see some of these details you sometimes need to view the edge under strong magnification 17x or 20x.

I have written to the seller asking for a refund and to acknowledge that he received my email before I send the medal back to him. Interesting that I haven't heard back when before the auction closed there were immediate responses. I hope this won't be a problem.

elverno

Funny thing is though; until you mention the issues the eye just skips over it for the most part. What is the history of restrikes of Goetz pieces? Are they contemporary to original strikes, later productions or are they being done today? Is there a collector's market for Goetz restrikes? I know several Napoleonic collectors that specialize in restrikes; some of them are more rare than the originals!

1jester

I hadn't visited this thread until now, but upon looking at the medal, I agree that it's a cast copy. The edges of the devices are not sharp, as Goetz' always are. And the graininess of the surface isn't right.

Good luck with the prompt return of your money, plus shipping and handling, plus compensation for your time. I'm serious. The dealer should have known better.

Askari

I don't know that there's a market for Goetz restrikes, but I believe they're mostly very recent counterfeits.