This guide will address only the A.MONT-VALERIEN clasp which was worn on the 1870-1871 Kriegdenkmünze (KDM). The A.MONT-VALERIEN clasp was authorized in 1895 and made available for private purchase for 35 pfennigs to 1 Reichsmark, depending on the salesman.  A.MONT-VALERIEN is rarely seen on the market as a loose single clasp.  The clasp A.MONT-VALERIEN was awarded for the battle against the French in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War.  Most recipients were entitled to the additional clasp PARIS but this clasp is not possible with the ST. QUENTIN clasp.  It is currently unknown as a verified single clasp to the KDM. 

(photo pending)

A.MONT-VALERIEN clasp

Currently, there appears to be less than 20 manufacturers of official clasps.  It should be noted that the prices can vary considerably from dealer to dealer - especially if accompanied with other medals or documentation.  Some jeweler's copy clasps have been noted as hallmarked.  Each clasp has different manufacturing styles:  (1) flat single ribbon width, wide lettering  - ca. 3.1 cm long, .5+cm tall, .05 cm thick (2) flat single ribbon width, narrow lettering - ca. 3.1 cm long, .5+cm tall, .05 cm thick  (3) flat 1 1/2 ribbon width, wide lettering  (4) flat 1 1/2 ribbon width, narrow lettering  (5) thick single ribbon width, hollow back, "fat" wide lettering - ca. 3.1cm long, .6cm tall, .1cm thick (6) flat single ribbon width, tall & wide lettering and ca. 25% taller than the official clasps - ca. 3.1 cm long, .6cm tall,  .05cm thick.  There are 2 different attachment methods:  (A) slip-on (B) prong back - and there are different styles to the prongs.  It's important to note that the clasp background is pebbled (some manufacturing styles convey the appearance of a cross-hatch background) in all cases and is not flat or smooth (a good indicator of a copy clasp).  Another tip is that if you view the edge, it is smooth, there is no ridge showing the mold separation because the original clasps were struck from dies.   It does not appear that there is a 1892 unofficial version of this clasp and this clasp is currently not documented in Type 6.   There are other clasps which require comment.  A. MONT VALERIEN, A.MONT VALERIEN, A. MONT-VALERIEN, MONT VALERIEN, and MONT VALÉRIEN may be originals, late-issues, or copies since the naming style varied with the manufacturers and caution is advised with these spelling variants.  An A.MONT-VALERIEN clasp was manufactured for wear on various veteran medals which is readily distinguished by having a flat background and/or original long flat prongs which are beveled at the end and almost touch each other.  +A.MONT VALERIEN+, MONT VALERIEN, and MONT VALÉRIEN - and presumeably the other spellings as well - exist for some of the veterans medals which were established after WWI.  The following is a list of clasps which have appeared on the market.

• A.MONT-VALERIEN Type 1 (1993, €67), German dealer.
• A.MONT-VALERIEN Type 5 (1993, €67), German dealer.
• A.MONT-VALERIEN Type 6B (1993, €67), German dealer.
• MONT VALÉRIEN Type 5B identified as a KDM clasp (1993, €5 - suspect), German dealer
• remounted KDM with A.MONT-VALERIEN and PARIS - both Type 3B & 1897 Centenary Medal (Jan. 1995, €125), German dealer.
• A.MONT-VALERIEN Type 5B (July 1997, €75), German dealer.
• unmounted KDM with replacement ribbon and A. MONT-VALERIEN - Type 3B (Sep. 2001, €50 - suspect), German dealer.
• unmounted Kyffhäuserbund Medal with MONT VALÉRIEN and PARIS - both Type 5B and with fairly flat backgrounds and with long flat beveled prongs overlapping by ca. 5% and all metal was similar (Jan. 2002, €15), German dealer.
• MONT VALERIEN clasp listed by a well-known German dealer  in Oct. 2002, €80 but further information was not available.  The same dealer listed another in Sep. 2004, €75 but didn't supply further details. 
• MONT VALÉRIEN Type 3B (Nov. 2005, €10 - suspect), German dealer
• A.MONT-VALERIEN Type 5B (Jan. 2005, €135), German dealer.
• MONT VALÉRIEN Type 5B (May 2007, €34.49 - suspect), eBay.

There is a series of clasps bearing this name that are made for the various WWI veteran medals.  They are typically distinguished by having a flat (or relatively flat) background or with the wording +A.MONT VALERIEN+ or MONT VALÉRIEN or made of a type of metal noticably different than the 1870-1871 KDM (and very often it's very similar to the Kyffhäauserbund Medal) and are very rarely Type 6.  They are normally similar to Type 2B, 3B, and 5B - with longer than normal original prongs which are typically flat and slightly beveled.  While these clasp are collector items in themselves, they are not original official clasps for the KDM.  There are a few exceptions to these general rules but these are best left to a specialist collector. 

MONT VALÉRIEN clasp (Type 3B post-WWI)

My best advice is:  purchase this clasp from a dealer who specializes in Imperial German or Prussian medals and who has a good knowledge of these clasps.  For your convenience, other associated guides can be found at:    http://reviews.ebay.com/Imperial-German-Medal-Guides-Index_W0QQugidZ10000000002386112.  Please visit my blog (http://blogs.ebay.com/tsa-li) and/or guides for further information.  Thank you for your visit!