This guide will address only the LOIGNY-POUPRY clasp which was worn on the 1870-1871 Kriegdenkmünze. The clasp LOIGNY-POUPRY was awarded for the battle against the French in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War.  The LOIGNY-POUPRY clasp was authorized in 1895 and made available for private purchase.  German recipients were a detachment from the 2nd Army.  This clasp can not be awarded to a recipient of the VILLIERS clasp.

(photo pending)

LOIGNY-POUPRY clasp

It currently seems that there was 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 hallmarked. Each clasp has different manufacturing styles:  (1) flat single ribbon width, wide lettering  - 3.1 cm long, .5+cm tall, .05 cm thick (2) flat single ribbon width, narrow lettering - 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 - 3.1cm long, .6cm tall, .1cm thick (6) flat single ribbon width, tall & wide lettering and ca. 25% taller than the official clasps - 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 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.  A clasp type with LOIGNY POUPRY has been noted on the market and extreme care should be used since it may be a copy or forgery - at the best, it could be a spelling variant made by one manufacturer.  The following is a list of clasps which have been noted on the market:

• 1978 (DM 25), German dealer.
• 1993 (Type 3, €31), German dealer.
• Jan 2006 (mounted silver Prussian Merit Medal & KDM with LOIGNY-POUPRY, BEAUGENCY-CRAVANT, and ORLEANS & 1866 Austrian-Prussian War Medal & Centenary Medal & Landwehr Decoration, €675), German dealer.
• Jan. 2006 (KDM with LOIGNY-POUPRY, BEAUGENCY-CRAVANT, and ORLEANS, €145), German dealer.
• Feb. 2006 (Type 3B, $100), USA dealer.
• Sep. 2006 (Type 2B with KDM, €75), German dealer.
• Oct. 2006 (KDM with LOIGNY-POUPRY, BEAUGENCY-CRAVANT, and LE MANS, GBP120), UK dealer.
• Feb. 2007 (Type 3B, €75), German dealer.

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 +LOIGNY-POUPRY+ or made of a type of metal noticably different than the 1870-1871 KDM (and very often it's very similar to the Kyffhäuserbund Medal) and are very rarely Type 6.  They are normally similar to Type 2B or 3B - 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. 

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!