For the aviation fans...

[stogieman]

Juncker Gunner Badge, Reverse

Note the correct Juncker mark peeking out from under the pin. NO silver content marks!

[stogieman]

Poellath Bavarian Pilot Badge

Rayback private purchase badge. Note the deep detail...

[stogieman]

Poellath Bavarian Pilot badge, Reverse

Back side. Again, the detail and quality compared to the bogus ones is astounding. Also, the real ones will attain this wonderful luster/tone whereas the fakes have that tinny, frosted/black spotted crap/glaze to them. This badge comes with the case of purchase.

[Darren]

What an outstanding collection Rick. Thanks for sharing them with us! Hope that you will post pictures as your 'family' grows. I especially liked the close- ups of the Bavarian pilot's badge. It will be helpful when I examine my own badge which is on it's way to me at this very moment!

thanks,

Darren

[Gerd Becker]

These are wonderful badges, Rick. Especially the Bavarian and the Prussian Gunner badge are great. Maybe the first real one, i see. Thanks for sharing these beauties with us.
best wishes,
Gerd

[Tony & Kaiser]

Rick, is the reason there is a backing plate on the air Gunner's badge, is because the chicken on the obverse is a separate piece? So the backing plate reinforces the rivets I see? Are those rivets? Or spot-welding marks where the plate was tacked onto the reverse? All beautiful badges by the way! Tony

[stogieman]

The Gunner

Hi Tony. The gunner badge is pretty unique as far as construction goes on the issue badges. Instead of a one-piece stamping, it is made of three seperate stampings! One piece of tin (?) is used for the wreath, one piece for the bird/target and a smooth, oval backing plate (the piece with the make rmark). The backing plate and bird are rivetted together with three very small studs/rivets and this is the only attachment I can discern. I believe the issue observers are constructed the same, using the three-pieces, but those are held together by the prongs on the back of the observer standard (flag). That is one I am missing right now, so I cannot be 100% on it. I suspect as soon as I get one though that this will hold true.
Another thing I've noticed is that these three-piece badge variations will sometimes come with a rayed insert and sometimes a smooth one. It really bugs me that we cannot locate any period catalogues to try and determine what was offered and when.

[stogieman]

Poellath Bavarian Gunner Badge

Front of my new Carl Poellath Imperial Air Gunner Badge!

[stogieman]

And the reverse!

Reverse

[Gerd Becker]

WHAT???
A BAVARIAN GUNNER BADGE???
What a wonderful detailed badge. Much, much nicer than the prussian gunner.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful piece, Rick. It is really THE NICEST of the arial badges, hard followed from your 800 silver Prussian Pilot.
Congratulations!
best wishes,
Gerd

[Darren]

Hi everyone,

That Bavarian Gunner's Badge going for $1295 just sold on Derrittmeister yeasterday!! It looks like Rick got an EXCELLENT badge for an EXCELLENT price!

regsards,

Darren

[adler]

these are now the badges that are under fire as fakes look in the book of previtera, i still think these badges in silver are real maybe after ww1 but i think they are made in the poellath factory

[Hagrid]

Hello!
The eagle is not Poellath-Style, the makers mark is odd...
I wouldn´t buy it.
Anyway: The research seems to have advanced a notch since this thread was opened....
Regards
Hagrid