01-06-2004, 02:30 AM
Absolutely, JH.
I have seen many, many Third Reich collectibles with this 'bubbling' over the surface. And the 'zincers' are really full of inner corrosion, which surfaces when it worsens. It looks like it was dipped in sulphuric acid! I know that the mid-war pieces were brass or copper plated first to give the German silver something more compatible to adhere to. This is the reason I prefer the earlier pieces. I wasn't aware that the early tombak pieces had this problem. Your years of collecting has given you more exposure/experience. When I started collecting Soviet awards (I have that knee-jerk reaction really bad right now) I was AMAZED at the materials they were made from. Platinum, gold, silver, brass, enamel! It seems they weren't in short supply of any natural materials as the Germans became during the war.
Respects.
Robert
I have seen many, many Third Reich collectibles with this 'bubbling' over the surface. And the 'zincers' are really full of inner corrosion, which surfaces when it worsens. It looks like it was dipped in sulphuric acid! I know that the mid-war pieces were brass or copper plated first to give the German silver something more compatible to adhere to. This is the reason I prefer the earlier pieces. I wasn't aware that the early tombak pieces had this problem. Your years of collecting has given you more exposure/experience. When I started collecting Soviet awards (I have that knee-jerk reaction really bad right now) I was AMAZED at the materials they were made from. Platinum, gold, silver, brass, enamel! It seems they weren't in short supply of any natural materials as the Germans became during the war.
Respects.
Robert
