my Minesweeper badge

[Norm F]

Hi all,
My horizontal-pin Minesweeper badge, unmarked.
Would you say this is zinc, or buntmetal? Is there an easy way to tell -- ?tint ?homogeneity/heterogeneity ? texture
And are these horizontal pin types characteristic of particular makers or a particular time period?
Cheers.
---Norm

[Norm F]

reverse with hook

reverse

[Norm F]

oblique view

oblique view

[Tim B.]

Hi Norm,

It's a zinc piece, probably unmarked Deumer as they seem to be the horizontal pin guys for this badge.

Look under the hinge and catch for the base plate when initially determining if a piece is zinc or not and try to search the forums for past discussions on manufacturing techniques when discussing the differences between zinc and buntmetal items.
Tim

[all1knew]

Hello there,

A good zinc badge.

William Kramer

[kirk]

I like it.

[Norm F]

Deumer

Thanks Tim,
I just found your posting of a beautiful Deumer back in 2007:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...er#post2109356
Mine does look very similar in the pin and hook style although yours has a more refined look with much cleaner attachments of the hardware. Did Deumer ever mark his badges?
Regards,
---Norm

[PODO01]

This is an l/11- i just sold my mint one on e-stand. Check out my thread.

Regards,
tom

[Norm F]

L/11 Deumer

Hi Tom,
That sure was a beauty on your post at http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=341028&page=3 and it sure likes a minty version of my tired old unmarked one.
I understand from the chart of makers that L/11 and 3 were both marks assigned to Deumers, so it sounds like there's a nice consensus on the maker of these horizontal pin ones.
Thanks.
---Norm

[all1knew]

Norm,

Tim's L/11 was made of tombak/buntmetal and you previously inquired to find your badge was in zinc, can you see the difference?

William Kramer

[Tim B.]

Thanks Tim,
I just found your posting of a beautiful Deumer back in 2007:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...er#post2109356
Mine does look very similar in the pin and hook style although yours has a more refined look with much cleaner attachments of the hardware. Did Deumer ever mark his badges?
Regards,
---Norm

Yes, as Tom just pointed out, he sold a very nice marked one on the estand, one that I would have loved to have gotten BTW, but I have so many items currrently in the fire...

[Norm F]

zinc vs. tombak

Norm,

Tim's L/11 was made of tombak/buntmetal and you previously inquired to find your badge was in zinc, can you see the difference?

William Kramer

Yes, it seems from the photos that the zinc is darker, slightly coarser texture and less sheen than the tombak. Also on the tombak the wash/gilding seems to wrap a bit around the edges onto the back unlike the zinc, although I suppose that could vary from piece to piece. I wonder if Deumer tended to mark his tombak pieces and leave the zinc unmarked...I'll need to check on other badges.
Regards,
---Norm

[Mark McShane]

This must have been a very late war badge, it looks like it has not stood up to the test of time very well. Certainly very well worn, look at the reverse, almost looks like pitting. Looking back at all the Deumer minesweepers here and on GCA and I cannot find another badge that has such a sloppy solder job to the hardware.

Regards,

Mark

[Norm F]

Deumer Minesweeper with envelope

I found this picture posted on another site by Gordon Williamson who kindly said I could re-post it here, showing a good condition unmarked late-war Deumer zinc horizontal-pin MS badge with it's original envelope stamped with the maker's name, looking very much like my somewhat-worse-for-wear example.
What a great resource these forums are!
By the way Gordon said his new book on KM war badges with over 1000 photos is at the publisher and is forthcoming.
Cheers.
---Norm

[Norm F]

reverse

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