Real or Fake?
Where Did It Come From?
When purchasing WWII militaria try and find out where the artifact came from. The best sources for authentic militaria are veterans and their families and even estates or barn sales. Artifacts pulled directly out of the ‘woodwork’ stand the greatest chance of being authentic without having to do much research. All items sold by Wehrmacht-Militaria are authentic and include our 100% Authenticity Guarantee.
Fake or Fantasy?
A reproduction or fake is essentially a copy of a legitimate item of the period. However, some items on the market today never actually existed prior to 1945. These pieces are referred to as Fantasy items within the collector community for the simple fact they never existed during the Third Reich. Items such as these are complete postwar fabrications. When purchasing militaria, do your research on the item first. Discussion forums and reference material can help with this.
Do Your Research!
Reference Books
If you are new to collecting, or are expanding into a new field of collecting, reference books will be your best friend. Hundreds of reference books about WWII German militaria have been printed.
These key resources can help you determine how to authenticate pieces and determine fair prices. These vital texts may also help explain rare variants and maker marks to look for.
Ask Us!
If for some reason you need help with anything, feel free to reach out. If someone on our team doesn’t know, hopefully we’ll know the folks that do.
If you have a question about an item or are looking for research or authenticity help, feel free to contact us today!
Identification Resources
Click to see a list of the RZM Codes for commonly collected Third Reich items. These can help you determine authenticity of your militaria.
For authenticity of German awards, click to see the LDO (Leistungs Gemeinschaft der Deutscher Ordenshersteller) numbers.
Click to gain a working knowledge of period construction, materials, and finishing techniques for Third Reich badge collecting.
Click on an Identification Chart Below
These charts will help you identify your German WWII militaria. Still have questions, contact us today!
Identification Charts
