JG 53 Presentation Plaque

[Andy Saunders]

This item has just turned up and I'd appreciate any thoughts on it.

Not sure about its provenance, or whether it is genuine - although there is much about it that feels 'right'. But it could be a very clever fake.

It is in a slightly tatty presentation box, with a gold embossed drop-tail (early pattern) Luftwaffe Eagle. The blue velvet lined box has a leather lifting tab to lift the heavy plaque out of the box.

Thoughts, anyone?

[sidney]

If I read it correctly, that was the plaque whereby Hermann Göring in his capacity of the Reichsminister for Aviation and the Highest Commanding Officer of the Luftwaffe congratulated the JG 53 officers (all of them?) on their promotion of 19 July 1940 - no doubt based on their performance from the beginning of the war until the end of the French campaign, where JG 53 emerged as the most successful Jagdgeschwader overall. Real or fake? It is just hard for me to tell.

[Andy Saunders]

Certainly aspects of this seem more than a little odd. It is amongst a collection of such material that I am evaluating. Much of it is genuine. Some not.

I just don't know what to make of this piece. I'd say the box is certainly genuine. But has something been made to fit the box which may have been for something else?

And the wording about 'promotion' seems all a little curious.

[ChrisMAg2]

Originally Posted by Andy Saunders

This item has just turned up and I'd appreciate any thoughts on it.

Not sure about its provenance, or whether it is genuine - although there is much about it that feels 'right'. But it could be a very clever fake.

It is in a slightly tatty presentation box, with a gold embossed drop-tail (early pattern) Luftwaffe Eagle. The blue velvet lined box has a leather lifting tab to lift the heavy plaque out of the box.

Thoughts, anyone?

In my opinion, it's a fake, with several issues:
•It's intention is not clear. (For something that official, it should be)
•It's unspecific, as who wants to congratulate whom for what. If it's from HG to JG53, it shouldn't have the Pik-As emblem on top. It should have the Lw eagle. And then the whole thing for just one promotion of whom...?
•The layout is bad. It's not balanced. The used font look somewhat "forced"
•There is a severe typographical/ grammatical error: "Das offiziers - JG53". Mind the low key "o" of "offiziers". In German that should be written with a capital/ upper key "O", being a "Hauptwort/ Substantiv". Beside that the word is either incomplete or wrong (Die Offiziere des JG53 or Das Offizierskorp)
•Some of the words don't sound right (Beglückwünschung, Das offiziers - JG53)

This reminds me a bit of the faked Hitler diaries in the 80s. But then, this too is only my opinion.

[Andy Saunders]

I think there can be little doubt that this is a fake! However, I wanted to get feedback before I gave information on the gathered and perceived wisdom to the owner of this item.

Thank you both for the helpful input.

[John Vasco]

I read that as a plaque TO Göring, not from him. Was he elevated on 19th July 1940 to a higher rank?

Was 19th July 1940 one of the dates when a plethora of awards were issued? I know Rubensdörffer was awarded the EKI on 19/7/40.

Just a couple of thoughts...

[sidney]

John Vasco is of course right. During World War II, Hermann Göring was the only man to hold the rank of Reichsmarschall, having been promoted on 19 July 1940, during the 1940 Field Marshal Ceremony by Adolf Hitler.

[ChrisMAg2]

Originally Posted by John Vasco

I read that as a plaque TO Göring, not from him. ...

This is what I meant. It is still (to me as a German) uncertain as to who congratulates whom. There is no indicator for which ever version. Both are possible -if put in this way- and that is what is so strange. In formally correct German (this plaque is [for] a formal event) it is and should be specified what (exactly) is being meant.
Also, why is it only an unspecified promotion and not a promotion to a what ever rank? The more, if HG was the receiving person.
Another thing, plaques are (usually) given by superiors, peers and/or friends and (usually) not by (unpecified?) subordinates. But even if this was given by subordinates, there is still the problem with the typographical errors.

One thing that we have not even asked yet, are there any hallmarks and/ or maker's mark(-s) on this piece? Something like this should have that...

[RolandF]

"Beglückwünschung für Eine Beförderung" - "Glückwunsch zur Beförderung" is correct German (but promontion to what?)
"Den 19 7 1940" - "(missing location), den 19.Juli 1940" would be a correct datum. This one is 21st century and not even German.
"Das offiziers(missing designation) - JG 53" - "Das Offizierskorps des JG 53" would be correct.
Wrong spelling, wrong date formula, missing designations - without any doubt a fake.

[John Vasco]

Originally Posted by RolandF

"Den 19 7 1940" - "(missing location), den 19.Juli 1940" would be a correct datum. This one is 21st century and not even German.

Wrong. Otto Hintze's Iron Cross First Class was inscribed on the back: Rubs 19 7 40

When Otto Hintze was awarded the EKI there were none in stock at Erprobungsgruppe 210 at the time, so Rubensdörffer gave him his, with the inscription on the back.

So 19 7 40 is not incorrect. I have held and examined said EKI at Hintze's house in Munich.