Ehrhardt sleeve badge

[lewjian]

Happy new year guys!
I would like to ask for your comments on this Ehrhardt badge. I have only seen this pattern of oakleaves on faked Wilhemshaven badges, could this one be an original?
Sorry for the fuzzy picture, it all I have for the moment.

[lewjian]

[Brian L.]

It's real, but has several die flaws from the die stamping the cut-out of the oakleaves in the wrong place (circled in red). But, I think it was actually issued and worn, even with the flaws.

Here it's compared to another similar one. Note how the cut-out should appear.

The 2nd picture is a similar pattern, except with splints and a backplate rather than holes for sewing. Note how the cut-out appears on this badge.

[lewjian]

bolewts58, thanks for your comments. Your badge is orignal and absolutely beautiful.
However I'm still puzzled by the cut out and acorn pattern, which exactly identical to this fake Wilhemshaven badge:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...light=Ehrhardt
Does anyone has opinion about it?

[Brian L.]

That Wilhelmshaven badge, that Verkuilen said was not real, is in fact 100% real, but a bad strike like yours. It would appear that the die used to cut-out the bottom was similar, which doesn't surprise me. I believe that both patterns of the badges were all stamped as solid badges first. Then later, a die was made to stamp out the bottom. The die set up to cut out your badge and this Wilhelmshaven badge was likely done by the same maker - thus, the mis-stamp.

While Verkuilen Ager is an acknowledged expert, his knowledge is rather dated now, based on information he researched and assumptions he made more than 30 years ago. His first book was written and self-published in 1972 and his 2nd in 1978, at a time when there was very little published information and few collectors of Freikorps (I was one of the few along with Verkuilen, who I met in 1977). But, he stopped researching and collecting Freikorps material sometime in the 80s and switched to collecting the Vietnam War.

Much new information has come to light in recent years about the Freikorps in general and the badges of the 2nd Marine Brigade, in particular. Verkuilen always adopted the attitude that Freikorps badges were "one-offs" and that there were few if any variations. This has been proven completely wrong in many cases. While it's true that smaller and short-lived Freikorps likely had only one badge made, large Freikorps that had a long life, such as the 2nd Marine Brigade had several versions of its badges. The brigade numbered around 8,000 and lasted in various forms from 1919-1934.

There are 2 versions of the pattern 1 Wilhelmshaven: one solid and one with leaves cut out (Haarcke 179.2, 179.3) and 3 versions of paterrn 2 Ehrhardt badge: one solid (Haarcke 179.4), one with leaves cut out with sew-on holes (Hartung pg. 42) (as I've shown below) and one with leaves cut out with splints and a backplate (Haarcke 179.5) (as I've also shown below) . There was actually a cloth and bullion version, as well. There was also a smaller 3rd pattern Ehrhardt Brigade badge worn when the brigade became the Wikingbund and then briefly part of the SS from 1933-34.

You need to refer to Ingo Haarcke's book page 39 and Lothar Hartung's book on page 42.

There's no doubt that your badge is genuine. It's just a bad strike. I know your badge sold recently on eBay together with a very nice pair of 2nd pattern collar badges because I bid on it. I wanted the collars. But, I wasn't willing to pay for the set, because of the bad striking on the arm badge.

[Brian L.]

Here is an example of what I like to call the 3rd pattern Ehrhardt badge (Haarcke 187.5) worn by the Bund Wiking and then Brigade Ehrhardt im Verbande der SS.

Apparently, this is a badge that Verkuilen Ager didn't know because he declared it a fake.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ad.php?t=48984

The 2nd pic is a comparison of size between the 54mm 3rd pattern and the 81mm 2nd pattern.



IMO, several of the old posts on the Freikorps forum have wrong info and need to be updated.

[lewjian]

Hi bolewts58, your feedback is so informative and educational, thanks for sharing!

[mananero]

What are these bringing now a days for the large version.

[Brian L.]

What are these bringing now a days for the large version.

The dealer's price is approximately 250-300 Euros for the 2nd model Ehrhardt depending on condition and whether type 1, 2 or 3.

[Don D.]

What type is this?

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=782134

[mchap]

Its hard to tell from the sellers photo, but the bottom half looks promising... usually you see these badges with holes drilled for mounting purposes, and the backing is strange, it looks like a velvet material? ...and it looks glued on?

I'd like to see some straight on photos with lighting that helps see the back better.

[Brian L.]

What type is this?

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=782134

Haarcke 179.5

type with 4 prongs and a back-plate like this one.

[mchap]

Thanks Brian. I liked the roping and sail details on the one for sale as well. Is there an accepted date for the type of badge?

[Don D.]

Thanks.

[Brian L.]

Thanks Brian. I liked the roping and sail details on the one for sale as well. Is there an accepted date for the type of badge?

The institution date of the 2nd pattern badge was sometime after August 1919 and it was worn until short time after the Luttwitz-Kapp Putsch in 1920, including by the Bund ehemaliger Ehrhardtoffiziere.

Another version is that it was not instituted until March 1920 when the Ehrhardt Brigade was issued new uniforms before their march on Berlin.

I don't believe there's any surviving documentation on the badge and its variations to verify the exact history of the 1st and 2nd pattern badges.