This guide will address only the SPICHERN clasp which was worn on the 1870-1871 Kriegdenkmünze. The SPICHERN clasp was authorized in 1895 and made available for private purchase for 35 pfennigs to 1 Reichsmark, depending on the salesman.  This is rarely seen on the market as a loose clasp.  The clasp SPICHERN (also known in SPICHEREN) was awarded for the battle against the French in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War.  The German recipients were mainly from the 1st and 2nd Army (although there were a very few exceptions).   

SPICHERN clasp (Type 3B)

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 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 (or cross-hatched) 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's interesting to note that the clasp SPICHEREN is currently known only in Type 5B and the ones that can be documented were awarded to the 1st Army only.  You will aslo need to know that a SPICHERN clasp was made post-WWI for wear on the various veteran medals - most of these have a flat background or say +SPICHERN+ or +SPICHEREN+ or have a very low relief pebbled background with 2 long flat beveled prong-backs that extend so they are almost touching.  The following is a list of clasps which have appeared on the market.

• SPICHERN Type 1 (1993, €21), German dealer.
• SPICHERN Type 3 (1993, €21), German dealer. 
• SPICHEREN Type 5B (1993, €21), German dealer.
• mounted KDM with COLOMBEY-NOUILLY, GRAVELOTTE-ST.PRIVAT, and SPICHEREN - all Type 5B & 1897 Centenary Medal (with documents), private German collection, Jan. 1997.
• re-ribboned KDM with COLOMBEY-NOUILLY (Type 1B), Gravelotte-St.Privat (Type 1B), and SPICHEREN (Type 5B), private German collection, Feb. 2001.
  SPICHERN Type 2B (Nov. 2006, €30), German dealer.
• SPICHEREN Type 5B (Nov. 2006, €30), German dealer.
• SPICHERN Type 3B (Dec. 2006, €57), 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 +SPICHERN+ or +SPICHEREN+ 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, 3A, 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. 

My best advice is:  purchase this clasp from an Imperial German or Prussian medal specialist who is very familiar with these clasps and who offers a 100% guarantee.  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!