Oriiginal 10th Group coin cast
 

10th Group CSM is looking for the original 10th Group Coin Cast; they have decided to return to its roots and would like to establish the original coin as the official 10th Group Coin. The CSM believes that an expat may either have and know where this cast is located. Any assistance in locating this piece of history will be greatly appreciated.

Rec'd in an email, No POC listed.

George, I have an original coin that has never been carried as it is my wife's. If they can use it to cast a new mold I would let them use it as long as I get it back. It is engraved but I think any half way decent mold maker can fix that.

Just a thought.

Check with Venus Jewelers, Bancock

LOL, does every SF group know about Venus Jewelers?

I've got the contact info for Venus, if needed. They currently (last year, anyway) only accept payment via wire transfer to a domestic Bank of America account. I mention this, because it kind of freaks some people out. "Send the money to this guy's BOA acct. in Arizona and we 'll send you a ring from Thailand."

As near as we can assess, the original coin was made in either Bad Tolz or Munich. since the early 50's or 60's when the coin was made, there is no record or trace of who made them.

We have the lightning bolt version that is currently being re-cast for 1-10.

Twin lightning bolts? :eek:

TR

Nope.. there are three on the coin.

Stras, are you saying that the original coin was minted in the 50s or 60s?? I thought Col Greene made the original in 69.

George, do you have a picture of the original coin? Is it the Trojan Horse coin with a different obverse engraving?

I think it might have been the same jeweler in Bad Tölz that did the sterling silver DUI that a couple of guys had on their Class A's. I just can't think of his name right now.... I'll do a little more thinking and try to gather some intel. I'm in the AO, so I can make some phonecalls if needed.

Original coin
 

Boys you can stand down. The local SFA Chapter has what the CSM thinks is the original 10th Group coin, not the 1/10 (Bad Tölz). When we got this note we clarified what he was looking for. My guess the CMD group had moved away from the original in the past few years and had a top three minted? We took over supplying the normal coin due to the restrictions of active duty units buying a bulk supply. We have couple hundred and have the mold so we can mint as many as needed. Good conversation though. Any one with questions can let me know.

HUA. Thanks Don.

you're thinking of Eichmann's Goldschmiede.

The son, who now runs the store, has no recollection of the coins being made there.

Stras, I think it was Eichmann on Marktstrasse who made the sterling silver unit crests. As for the coins, I think there was another Juwelier/Goldschmied involved...

Mike,

Eichmann made the unit crests.. The other store that was across the Isar made the coins. It is now an Antique Shop, if I have the location right. Or it is the place next door with really fancy jewelry (and over priced), which is fairly new (last 10 years).

Stras,

then I recalled it correctly. The other store was across the bridge, on the left hand side I think. All is overprices in Tölz now, the Euro screwed everything up.

v/r
Mike

Glad you located the original.
I recall when they came out with them in Devens in 69. I still have 2.

image
 

what does it look like?

With the early coins, weren't there two variations. One had just the Trojan Horse (like on Stras' avatar). And the other had the Trojan Horse DUI with the three lightning bolts?

I have done extensive research on this topic..

Robbins company of Massachusetts is accredited for minting the first 10th group coin circa 1967-1968. They are now merged with another company. It is said that 10th group has exclusive rights to the mold, however I contacted them a few years back with interest of having a couple made and after two weeks of searching the representative said they could no longer locate the mold. The gal did offer to make an impression mold if I sent in an original coin though.

The 10th group secretary has been using another company for the coins now for several years. I have seen the ones SFA has had for sale through the quartermaster in the past and there are many differences between them and known originals members have and carry. But If the original mold is found, And it can be authenticated I would be interested in having a current copy.

this day and age with all the fakes out there.... Just can't be too sure

When I got my coin in 68, there was but one design. Now I was at Devens when Col Greene did the coins, but do not know if another coin was made by Company A (later 1st Bn) in Germany. I left for 1st Group a few months later.

The only one that I've seen for 1-10th, has been the Trojan Horse with the 3 lightning bolts..

I have an SF DET EUR coin that has a replica of the Wooden Indian on it.

Stras, this is the coin I got in 1968 at Devens, it has only 1 lightning bolt.

Yes, that is my wife's, mine was "acquired" by another, but has my name on the back, waiting to have someone drop it on me.

Mine's the same...

1-10, 10th and SF DET EUR coins
 

Here's a replica of the 1-10 coin, and original 10th and SF DET EUR coins

The 1-10 coin reads.

1ST Special Forces BN
10th SFG(A)


Below the Trojan Horse reads Bad Tölz

Looking back at this.. I think split with the two coins would have coincided with the return of 10th SFG(A) (minus Company A (later re-designated 1-10 in 1972)) to CONUS in 1968..

Does anyone have a 10th SFG(A) coin that reads Bad Tölz below the Trojan Horse?

Does anyone have a Company A coin of the 1968 - 1971 time period?

That could tie in with the Group having the original mold story that I had heard back in the late 90's...

Interesting on your dates of 1967-68 for Massachusetts. 10th SFG(A) moved from Bad Tölz to Ft Devens in 1968.

The split to Devens minus Company A, was before there were Battalions in Special Forces. Tolz had Company A, and Devens had Companies B, C, and D as far as line companies, there was also a Headquarters Company for support if I remember correctly. The companies were broken down into B Teams and A teams, now ODAs. That split began in 67 and finished in 68.

you're correct. We have the photos on the wall that show circa 1972 the switch from Company A to 1st Battalion.

But I have found that it is easier to avoid confusion with some of the newer guys in explaining the history. then ease them into the part of Companies being Battalion size with an LTC for a Cdr, and team numbers that were single or two digit numbers, then evolved to three, and are now four digit numbers.

Still trying to get people to realize that the line companies were stationed at Prinz Heinrich Kaserne in Lenggries and not at Flint Kaserne.. Company A moved to Flint in 1968, after the Group moved to Ft. Devens.

Wasn't one of the organization using the one pfennig coin (1931-1945) as a "coin"?

Stras, sorry brother, I was actually aiming that the newer guys that may not of known that or had forgotten. As you stated, way too many really do not know that Battalions did not come on line until 72/73. I was in 1st Group and was TDY, imagine our surprise when we got back after 6 months away and Company C was non-existant and it was 2d Bn. In the 2 months from getting back and redeploying, many of us went through several units while on the same team. Crazy time. :D

definitly an origional coin there, think the confusion may not be with the design but from the manufacture

sounds like the mid-90's when we all had to change team numbers, so someone important would know what kind of team was showing up for the JCET..

here are a couple images from the yearbook, which also is very simular to the ones the 10th group secretary has been procurring for years, notice the difference in coin edge, thickness of boarder and horse

Not sure which mold bennett is referring to but if he has the one longrange's coin was cast from...put me down for one.

Is that the 50th Yearbook that you are quoting?

go to the next SFA 4-24 meeting... and meet him if you haven't already.

Guys my error, I am going brain dead, I got mine in 70 and I believe the first purchase by Col Greene was in 69. They were numbered for the first 100 and made of solid silver. The dates 67-68 are when 10th displaced to Devens minus Company A and the Berlin team we called Det A. In 69 I called up Mrs. A and asked to get the hell of the hill and did not care where. She said call back and when I did she said I was now on levee for 10th. I said Germany cool, she said no Devens, I asked where the heck was that. The rest they say is history. Sorry for the date screw up, just getting old and have trouble with CRS. :D

yes, the images are from the 50 year yearbook, but as you can see the images in the yearbook are fillers since there is no way the period coins were minted from the same mold as the one pictured. a coin check at one of the 4-24 SFA meetings would prove this (although they would all match longrange's coin).

I recall a framed pic in the command groups office with a couple coins in there aswell and a bit of history behind the coin, but those arn't from the same mold as the originals either, reproductions.

I have met don, cool guy. just not sure what mold he is referring to. .

Col Greene was in command from Sept 68-Jul 1970, first 100 coins were from sterling silver sn on coin edge, with an "r" for manufacture halmark...came in a case like this:
;)
proceeds were used to purchase a german wood carved statue