Here is another piece recently acquired. I have included two pictures that make me scratch my head a bit. One of which shows the pin in it’s resting position, which is loose or "lazy", meaning that it can slide a few degrees to the right of the catch and basically flop around there.

Another reference site that seems quite comprehensive states that the pin should be retained and resist being pulled away from the catch. I figured it could just be 70+ years of wear, but it could also be an example of bad craftsmanship.

The other shows the inside of the pin, where a marking of some kind is visible. It is very small, and hard to make out, so I have included a picture here. Since I can’t make out what it says, I can’t reference it to the maker’s list published on that same reference site.

The back of the cross has some significant scratches as well.

With between 300k to 575k of these awarded, I see a much great possibility of these being widely faked.

Any thoughts/opinions are greatly appreciated!