A Tale of Two Badges, Chapter One

[stogieman]

Whilst the world slept, all was not quiet in stogieman-world. The horrendous vacuum created by the selling off of much that was dear to our hero created instability in the world... After all, everyone knows nature abhors a vacuum.
Our hero, armed only with a ball point pen, a mouse (optical) and the will to defy the powers that be set out upon a quest.
The quest to fill the void, in a small and easily concealed manner....
And so, our hero commenced to create a small grouping of only the real, only the best air badges of Imperial Germany. Thus, all that was lost would soon be returned... or at least replaced!
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Chapter one commenced with the official issues. Yep, the hollow-stamped badges of Prussia. Here's a beautiful Prussian Pilot Badge & a Prussian Airial Gunner Badge:

[stogieman]

The reverses:

Yep, your basic, official issue pieces. Stamped from steel, plated with silver. Simple construction, but superbly detailed. (Once I get the scanner going you'll see what I mean)

[stogieman]

Here's where it gets real interesting!

The Prussian Airial Gunner badge is one of the most elusive badges in the world. In the 5 years I've been seriously chasing these, i found only one sure-fire original. Sold earlier this year by Detlev Niemann, his comment was "First original I see in years". Now the intriguing thing was, according to Detlev, the gunner badge original issues were only by Juncker and only made stamped (during the war, late 1918 ONLY!). But wait! When the badge arrived, yep, it was stamped. But it was stamped out of three distinct pieces and rivetted together!
This piece was only in my hands briefly and off it went to Kalifornia to a private collection. Here's a copy of detlev's original photo from his listing:

[stogieman]

Alas, our hero never thought....

.... that this badge would be seen again! After all, it was the first legit one he'd seen! But wait! While perusing the website of an oft-maligned Imperial dealer, our hero occasioned to click the little "more photos" button and what to his wondering eyes should appear....

[stogieman]

Holy Bat Guano!

Gee, that dealer must have made a boo-boo! No way a real badge could be there... but the maker mark was right. And so were the rivet patterns..... could it be true?

[stogieman]

Yep, it sure was...

Yep, a three piece, original issue Prussian Air Gunner Badge. A Holy Grail for the Imperial Air Badge Collector! Amazing, but true.
The moral of Chapter One?
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Know thy subject!

[stogieman]

One more detail shot...

One more detail shot, then on to Chapter Two!

[stogieman]

A Tale of Two Badges, Chapter Two

Yes, our hero was most pleased with himself. He snickered mightily as he slipped the stamped steel original-issue badges into the secret hiding space.....
But our hero was not satisfied! Nay! There is nothing worse than an itchy mouse button finger. Before long, his search bore fruit again!
Moving on to the private purchase pieces.... our hero was stunned to find these two badges. Having sold his cased pilot badges he did not think there could be many left to find..... but out of the depths of two "old-time collections" came these:

[stogieman]

Could it be???

Yes, a suspiciously looking reddish-brown pilot badge case..... often associated with an interesting, but easily confused manufacturer named Carl Poellath... or was that Pöllath???
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Hmmmmm.... that sure looks like an Imperial Bavarian Crown on that lid.....

[stogieman]

Great Balls of Fire!

Our hero was stunned when the package arrived and sure enough... It was a pre-1918 issu badge! Stunning quality, unreal depth and detail... Pre-1918 you say? How did he know that? Well grasshopper, after the abdication of the monarchies... no cases were sold with the crown! Here's the backsides:

[stogieman]

Chapter Three......

... and so Boys & Girls.... our hero blindly stumbles off to complete his quest... Only real, only the best... his wish list isn't too unreal, is it??
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Original issue (Stamped) Prussian Observer Badge
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Original issue (Stamped) Bavarian Pilot & Observer Badges
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Private Purchase Prussian Observer Badge
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Private Purchase Bavarian Observer Badge
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Bavarian Gunner Badges...

[stogieman]

Ps:

Did I mention that all the private purchase pieces will need to be cased....?

[Mike Dunn]

Hey Stogie! Interesting, no enamel items!! One question......still---marrrrr---well you know what I mean---Nice to see you are in the world of collecting again!! Where ya hiding them??? Mike

[Dez H]

Rick; These are simply stunning bages, simply stunning.
I could never sell items like this once they had fallen into my hands, these are all keepers for life.
Good luck on your quest and thank you for sharing the pics of your adventure with us.

[Dave Mosher]

Rick

Beautiful pieces!! Here is my contribribution to issue enamel items...

Dave