Hi guys,
After some recent threads regarding the round-wreath pilot badges, a gentleman was generous and kind enough to send me 2 examples to study in hand. Like most collectors, I was VERY sceptical about these badges, but am always willing to take a look and try hard to keep an open mind.
After studying and photographing these badges for a few days, I was quite suprised to find MANY aspects that are entirely consistent with wartime-produced badges made by Juncker! Some of us had surmised that Juncker may be involved with these to some extent based on the eagle design and reverse hardware, but the connections are so numerous that I don't know how anyone can deny that Juncker made these after seeing all the evidence that will be laid out here.
I will post the badge, and then several compares I did based on what I could physically see on the badges themselves. Most of these compares are done with #PABs, mainly because these would have likely been from the same timeframe of these round-wreath pilot badges (late war). I also used #PABs because I had very good pictures at my disposal thanks to Phil DeBock's excellent book on the Panzer Assualt Badges.
One last thing before seeing the compares. I am NOT saying these round-wreath badges are originals, only that they are VERY similar to late-war badges made by Juncker. Whether they are made before or after May 1945 is still to be debated. Many of these badges come with stories of "vet finds" or whatever. I think these stories are important, but what carries much more weight (with me anyway) is the physical characteristics of the badges themselves. As far as I am concerned, we cannot fault these round-wreath pilot badges on materials and hardware. Whether they were truly made by Juncker during the last year of the war or postwar is still to be determined...
Firstly, here is one of the badges that was sent to me. The other one is absolutely identical, so I am only posting one of them. Lots of compares to follow, so don't reply until I say "DONE"
Tom
After some recent threads regarding the round-wreath pilot badges, a gentleman was generous and kind enough to send me 2 examples to study in hand. Like most collectors, I was VERY sceptical about these badges, but am always willing to take a look and try hard to keep an open mind.
After studying and photographing these badges for a few days, I was quite suprised to find MANY aspects that are entirely consistent with wartime-produced badges made by Juncker! Some of us had surmised that Juncker may be involved with these to some extent based on the eagle design and reverse hardware, but the connections are so numerous that I don't know how anyone can deny that Juncker made these after seeing all the evidence that will be laid out here.
I will post the badge, and then several compares I did based on what I could physically see on the badges themselves. Most of these compares are done with #PABs, mainly because these would have likely been from the same timeframe of these round-wreath pilot badges (late war). I also used #PABs because I had very good pictures at my disposal thanks to Phil DeBock's excellent book on the Panzer Assualt Badges.
One last thing before seeing the compares. I am NOT saying these round-wreath badges are originals, only that they are VERY similar to late-war badges made by Juncker. Whether they are made before or after May 1945 is still to be debated. Many of these badges come with stories of "vet finds" or whatever. I think these stories are important, but what carries much more weight (with me anyway) is the physical characteristics of the badges themselves. As far as I am concerned, we cannot fault these round-wreath pilot badges on materials and hardware. Whether they were truly made by Juncker during the last year of the war or postwar is still to be determined...
Firstly, here is one of the badges that was sent to me. The other one is absolutely identical, so I am only posting one of them. Lots of compares to follow, so don't reply until I say "DONE"
Tom
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