Schlesien Eagle Badge - Need Opinions

[Colorado]

I wanted to run this through the experts here before it goes to the estand. The Silesian eagle is in nice shape and appears to have a maker mark on the back. The catch is closed in, but other than that, looks pretty nice to me.

I have not kept up with imperial/Weimar medals too well. So, assuming this is OK, who's the maker and what's a fair price on the estand?

Thanks, appreciate the help.

[Colorado]

2

[Colorado]

close-up

[Okrach]

I am not an expert in this field but this one looks good to me.

What is more - I have never spotted a fake of this award before so I am certain it is an original, marked badge.

[Don D.]

Jeff, that is a good one made by Meybauer
Don

[TerryG]

What colour is it? Gold? Mine are black and I have not seen a gold one before. For info I paid about USD75 for mine a while back....and yes it looks like the Meybauer logo on there.

[Colorado]

Yes, it has gold wash on the obverse. Thanks for the comments so far

[VerKuilen Ager]

Gilt color, extremely poor detail on the arc, oversized pin, mock rivets . . . my votes on the side of caution.

[Don D.]

The pin is correct for this maker, the rivets are real. I'm sure better pics will show the details.
Don

[Colorado]

Thanks Don - Given the source of the badge, I would be surprised if it was anything other than textbook. Here is some other photos. I have had a couple offers to buy, so somebody likes it.

[Colorado]

close-up

[VerKuilen Ager]

Just to clarify: by "mock rivets" I meant that this piece does not have the type of attachment fasteners that I'd expect in this case. The highest quality rivet takes the most time and labor. It's a separate piece, inserted from the rear and sweated or soldered to a post on the attachment (the crescent and arc in this example). This leaves the distinct domed head of the insert visible on the back of the badge. Not what was used on this example.

Neither does this piece have the next cheaper grade of riveting that involves a hollow post (like a tiny piece of pipe) on the attachment. This "pipe" would come through the badge and a tool would be inserted in the end. Pressure on the tool forces the edges of the end of the pipe to roll back and spread so that it can no longer pull back through the badge. This method leave the tiny hole in the end of the pipe visible. Not what was used on this example.

With the cheapest and quickest attachment method a solid piece of wire soldered to the attachment passes through a hole in the planchett. This wire is clipped off and the end is peened enough so that it can't pull back through. The result is typically rough and uneven, like the top of a fence post that's been pounded on. Sometimes a circle is stamped around the hole. This can be the legit result of the tool that was used to do the peening, but often it serves no purpose other than camouflage.

One thing that I forgot to mention in my prior list of reservations about this example: the end of the pin extends beyond the edge of the design. While not completely unheard of, this is rare in original pieces. Careful manufacturers never allowed this because it is visible when the badge is worn. The practice of keeping the end of the pin short enough to be hidden when the award is on the uniform is easily confirmed by the study of contemporary photos. Again, exceptions can always be found, but not what you'd expect from quality manufacurers.

[Peter J.]

Here's a similar badge, although a bit different. It appears to be made in bronze with no traces of silver left.The dark finish can be seen on the reverse. Two more clearly visible differences are the beak and the feather on the head. I've had this badge up for rewiew earlier, but there was no definite consensus. Perhaps this time

KR
Peter