Please Help Identify Unit Marking on 1916 DWM

[Don M]

Originally Posted by Vlim

It would be fun to see a logical alternative for the 'Lj.' abbreviation, though. I really can't think of anything else that would make sense, unless the 'j' was actually meant to be an 'i' and we are looking at an 'Li' abbreviation instead...

Originally Posted by jamese

This j - i ambiguity, would help explain the "j" stamped over the "i" in the example of mine. When you look at the letter closer you can see the "i" under the "j"

Jim, I think you may be correct although the j in your marking apparently was hand engraved rather than stamped (minor point). Your example supports Gerben's suggestion that perhaps we should be considering a compound word alternatively abbreviated as Li. or L.I. Perhaps the marking variations represent an evolution that began as Li., was modified to Lj. and ultimately to L.J.(rev). This evolution may have been driven by successive realizations that the marking could be confused with that of another police force or location. For example:
* Li. was the abbreviation for Liegnitz in Prussian Shupo markings.
* Lj. could easily be interpreted as an abbreviation for Landjäger or Landjägerei (as we have done).
* An I. in the abbreviation L.I. could easily be interpreted as a Roman numeral.
* A reverse J. would be unique, especially in the stylized font used.

The L. is almost certainly an abbreviation for Land (State). The only police term beginning with I that immediately comes to mind is Inspektion (Inspectorate). Perhaps this was a small state police unit that has not been previously identified. Unless some confirming documentation surfaces, this is pure speculation.

This also leaves the question of the meaning of K. It is almost certainly from the Weimar era and cannot represent Königlich or Kaiserlich. Perhaps it stands for a city in which this unit was located. To date, the only marking that has been identified from the state of Baden is Ma. from the Schupo at Mannheim. No markings have been identified from other units or locations in Baden. Two other significant cities in Baden were the capital Karlsruhe (pop. 145,694) and Kontanz (31,252). Karlsruhe had a police Direktion and seems too large for this unit which makes Konstanz a more likely candidate.

Putting all this together results in a very tenuous identification of Konstanzisches Landes-Inspektion. I am not ready to take this to the bank but do think we may be getting closer. Thank you both for your critical input to this mystery.

I will welcome any comments or criticisms.