is this marking "real"

Mauser720 · 02-09-2008, 08:34 PM

Well, Jan Still covers this marking on pages 105 to 108 of his book "The Pistols of Germany and It's Allies In Two World Wars" Volume 1. (And it may be covered in other books he has authored too.) On page 107 he has a photograph of one of these "Totenkopf" markings, and it is nothing like the one gdk771 is asking about. In the "authentic" example, the date is still on the receiver. (1918 in this case.) And the actual Death Head is small, approximately occupying the same amount of space as the "18" in the date.

Another thing you will notice is that in addition to this Death Head marking being much larger, the details contained in the engraving are far more numerous than the rather sparse lines of the example shown in Still's book.

I think one of the problems is that we, as collectors, find something that is new and unusual and unique. And we want to believe that it is authentic. And that is how we get burned.

Mr. Wood is the expert, and I'm just a minor collector. When he says this one is "sheer fantasy" I'm sure you can bank on that.

Mauser720 - Ron

02-09-2008, 08:34 PM	#7
Mauser720 User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Kansas Posts: 535 Thanks: 18 Thanked 49 Times in 33 Posts	Well, Jan Still covers this marking on pages 105 to 108 of his book "The Pistols of Germany and It's Allies In Two World Wars" Volume 1. (And it may be covered in other books he has authored too.) On page 107 he has a photograph of one of these "Totenkopf" markings, and it is nothing like the one gdk771 is asking about. In the "authentic" example, the date is still on the receiver. (1918 in this case.) And the actual Death Head is small, approximately occupying the same amount of space as the "18" in the date. Another thing you will notice is that in addition to this Death Head marking being much larger, the details contained in the engraving are far more numerous than the rather sparse lines of the example shown in Still's book. I think one of the problems is that we, as collectors, find something that is new and unusual and unique. And we want to believe that it is authentic. And that is how we get burned. Mr. Wood is the expert, and I'm just a minor collector. When he says this one is "sheer fantasy" I'm sure you can bank on that. Mauser720 - Ron __________________ Mauser720 - Ron "Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it."