Wound Badge Questions

[Dez H]

Hello everyone

I have always thought that the wound badges with the definite line about 1/3 from the bottom were fakes. Here I have linked to some previous posts, hope no one minds, to illustrate this. Some have the line, and some do not. The helmets with the line look more like M35s. is this a difference between official and private purchase pieces? I understand that the cut out wound badges are private purchase items, while the "solid" ones are the issue pieces. Thanks in advance for any insight.








Dez

[Eric Stahlhut]

Dez, are you sure that it isn't the other way around?I checked out all of my badges, and they all have a line or crease on them. The only one which does NOT have a crease is a silver grade repro obtained from a German dealer who never followed through on his pledge to make things right.

Granted that there were umpteen-million makers of this badge, but all of them that I have--from the earlier 'DRGM' marked ones to the later vanity pieces--all share this same characteristic to some degree. Some are more pronounced than others. Doesn't matter if they are cut-out or solid...

[Tom Y]

Here are 4 different ones, the 3 black from Detlev. Note the differencev in line, from sharp to almost non-existent. BTW, the lower left one seems to be blued rather than painted. Also note the difference in number, size and configuration of berries at the top.

[Dez H]

Here's my original unmarked black wound badge for comparison.








Dez

[Dez H]

Here is a Third Reich Black Wound badge for comparison. Is it possible that these imperial badges, with the definite line, were produced in the Third Reich as replacements? Like the Iron Crosses that were made, same core as the 1914’s different arms. Am I onto something here or way of the track?






Dez

[Rick Research]

By 'line" you mean horizontal between the dome of the helmet and the flared eye and ear/nape protection? I never really noticed this as significant, one way or the other.

there were apparently zillions of makers of these, and since they were produced for decades, no real way to tell actual age.

I would say that the steel black ones were 1918 vintage, and any black that are brass (a more "strategic" material) were post-WWI. The cutouts were appearing by summer 1919. I'm not sure about the silver and gold classes-- I've NEVER encountered one of those in steel-- I suspect because the matt finish (they were referred to at the time, and on award documents, as "mattweiß" and "mattgold," not our sloppy "silver" and "gold.") wouldn't take on steel-- I have a NAVY 1918 silver wound badge which is on steel, and the finish is really quite ugly, like radiator paint almost. The sterling silver silvers (BTW, I have also nevre seen a gilt strerling "gold" one.) are obviously 1920s+.

To me, the ones I've always assumed were 1930s replacements are lighter and tend to have a square Sports Badge sort of catch rather than a plain old J hook. They are cheap and flimsy and would bend if flexed.

[Dez H]

Yes Rick that is correct the horizontal line between the dome of the helmet and the flared eye and ear/nape protectior. If these were so widely produced with unknown amount of makers, varitans in helment and catch assemply how can we tell these "originals" from the fakes? I guess it is hard to reproduce the 70+ years of age, but they are getting close.


Here is a current repo on offer on ebay, the seller fully admits to it being a repo. To me the finish does not look like an original and the detail is not bad.

[Eric Stahlhut]

Just the fact that it seems to be solid is a dead giveaway. They just weren't made like that. Never! The closest thing to a solid WW1 wound badge you can get to is a hollow "deluxe" version. Yep, Dez---bear in mind that the better repro wound badges out there are indistinguishable from the originals except for patina, and I'm afraid that I may be wrong on that point by now.

[Frank Heukemes]

Dear Rick,

I do have gold and silver class STEEL ones in my collection. The finish looks great:




reverse shots:



Cheers, Frank

[cicero]

here is mine for comparison (they came from a trusted dealer)

cicero