The German South West Africa Medal (SWA) with the clasp OMAHEKE was awarded for operations in German Southwest Africa during the Herero Rebellion which began in 1904.  WATERBERG, OMAHEKE, HEREROLAND, and GROSS-NAMALAND is one of the few 4 clasp combinations possible on the Imperial German South West Africa Medal.   This is one of the most common clasps for this medal and can sometimes be found on the dealer market.

(photo pending)

OMAHEKE clasp

Currently, there appears to be less than 25 manufacturers of these 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  - 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 can be slightly pebbled (some manufacturing styles convey the appearance of a cross-hatch background) and appears relatively flat - although it is not smmoth.  The background is noticeably not as pronounced as with other clasps (such as the Franco-Prussia War Medal clasps).  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.  The following is a selection of clasps which have been noted on the market:

• 1999 (Type 1B, €92), German dealer.
• Oct. 2001 (remounted SWA with all Type 1B WATERBERG, OMAHEKE, HEREROLAND, and GROSS-NAMALAND & Bronze Prussian Long Service Medal), private German collection.
• Sep. 2005 (mounted SWA with all Type 1B WATERBERG, OMAHEKE, HEREROLAND, and GROSS-NAMALAND), private German collection.
• Jan. 2007 (Type 1B, €70), German dealer.

Modern copies are sometimes offered but most are obvious to an experienced collector and typically sell at ca. €10 - but may go higher if offered in an auction.  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!