I`ve seen a few French Croix de Guerre medals in silver recently. can someone help me out as to what these awards were issued for?

Thanks
Jim

Hi Jim

Some models of croix de guerre have been made in silver, even in gold and sometimes with diamonds. They are not special awards but only special items made at a high price and beautiful quality by jewellers for rich buyers.

These last weeks, on ebay, flowers many "silver" medals which are probably fakes made from the regular bronze cross with special product to plate a thin line of pseudo silver on... in order to catch a poor buyer.

The only way to be sure to have a genuine silver cross is the French small stamp of garantee on it.

Regards
Bison

Hi Jim,

This is a particular manufacturing solded by french manufacturers.
Some soldiers or officers bought their crosses in solid silver. But it represented acts of the same value than bronze crosses.

In fact, just a fantasy...

You can see some models here (WWI) :
http://www.forum-insignes-medailles.net/les-medailles-f9/les-croix-de-guerre-14-18-t2366.htm?highlight=croix+de+guerre

You can find 3 models of silver "croix de guerre" :
- for the first world war (more commun with 4 variations : 14/15 or 14/16 or 14/17 or 14/18),
- for the second world war (39/45)
- foreign wars ("croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures" on the reverse side)

However, BEWARE !! Many crosses are not in solid silver...
A real one (solid silver) have "Boar's head" stamp... just like this :



MaZeL

Good evening Mazel

Agree! Nice shot! Fantastic pic of the stamp!

Just a remark, for foreign wars the mention is: "théâtres d'opérations extérieurs" because it refers to the theatres, not to the operations...
The mention "extérieures" exists too, but is rare! and is a mistake in French language... a sort of curiosity...

Regards
Bison

Sorry Bison,

This picture is not mine... Thank Simon for the job !

Regards,

MaZeL

Thankyou both Bison and Mazel. The information you provide is greatly appreciated.

It is interesting that fakes of all kinds are ruining our hobby!!! It is also pleasing that the silver medals are not "official" awards so i won`t be having to purchase one!

Thanks once again for your trouble

Jim

Hello Tunneller

Bison and Mazel are both absolutly right about the silver croix de guerre. They were made available by private manufacturers and do not have any meaning as special awards.

Such badges are nevertheless perfectly genuine period pieces, when they can clearly be recognised as such. Moreover, they are rather scarce since they were expensive. If they were not too glaringly different from the bronze crosses, they were tolerated.
Genuine crosses all have the "wild boar's head" silver hallmark found on all silver awards not struck by the Paris Mint. Mazel has provided a superb blow-up view of one. The hallmark can be found on the edge of one of the arms of the crosses.

Although it is not a special award in its own right, I suggest that you pick up any such cross with a legitimate look, if you see one go by for less than £30.... I certainly would.

Regards
Vétéran

Hello Tunneller,

To add to veteran's detailed answer; some badges may also exist in vermeil or gold; and it is easy to understand the rarity for such pieces when looking at the prices applied then (E.g.:http://www.forum-insignes-medailles.net/vos-catalogues-fabricants-f25/maison-delande-t12008.htm).

Mazel, I am definitely astonished by your the quality of your hallmark picture. What's your secret?

Best regards,
Vincent

Hi Tunneller,

All is right, but be carefull,I think it's not also easy.
As said by phda on the forum, nowadays any silver object lower than 30 grams is exempted from hallmark...
http://www.forum-insignes-medailles.net/les-medailles-et-leurs-bidouilles-f11/croix-de-guerre-doree-t11887.htm

best regards

Good evening stomoxe

You are perfectly right. But this kind of medal is not exempted of the silversmith's hallmark which coud be a very good sign, in any case.

A silver cross, without any stamp : "in the doubt, refrain you"...

Regards

Bison

Hi Jim,

Nothing to add to what my distinguished fellow collectors have told you above about crosses made in silver or in silver gilt. Despite non official they are actively sought after by collectors in France and prices are from far above the ones of a "standart" bronze war crosses.
Just to complete your information about war cross 14-18, the silver palms you can eventually find on a bronze or silver war cross are OFFICIAL. An official Decree gazetted in early 1917 states that 5 bronze palms can be replaced by ONE silver palm. I made recently a post on the forum about these palms. In French. If you have any problem with the translation you can contact me again in private message and I'll do my best to explain you this strange issue...
And many thanks again for your help about my DSC

Have a nice day and kind regards,

Didier

http://www.forum-insignes-medailles.net/les-medailles-f9/palmes-d-argent-pour-la-croix-de-guerre-1914-1918-t12146.htm