WWI tank badge - PLEASE HELP

[Don D.]

The whole 99-100 badges myth has been talked about before. Here is a good thread: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...&highlight=A7V

Ask yourself a couple of questions wrt this,

1. If the badge was to be private purchase why would an officer supposedly order 100 from the Juncker firm? Who were these badges for? The only logical answer would be they were for qualified soldiers still on active duty in the Weimar Army.

2. To qualify for the badge one had to take part in 3 tank assaults or have been wounded during a tank assault. ATD 12 lost all but one tank in its very first action. In its next action it had 30-40 personel wounded. This is just one 5 tank abteilung. ATD 12 also participated in a 3d assault so those not wounded qualified for the badge as well.Statistically speaking, many more soldiers qualified for the badge than previously thought. Read the thread and decide for yourself.

[Brian L.]

Currently on eBay.

I have strong doubts about this, but thought I'd post it anyway.

For one thing, the image of the badge looks like a photo lifted from a sales catalogue. I would think that if the document had a picture of the badge at all, it would be some type of graphic image, not a photo.

[Don D.]

That seller sold another one just a couple of days ago that was different than this..... There is a thread with a authentic one here: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...highlight=tank

[Brian L.]

Thanks Don.

He's not a very smart seller. He's posted a whole lot of docs in one go and immediately you can tell from the close similarities of all of them in terms of paper, design elements and unit stamps that they're all fakes created by the same person.

I've re-posted the relevant pic here. I find it interesting that the illustration on the document is the design used for Sepp Dietrich's 2nd badge; the only one of it's kind supposedly ever made.

[juoneen]

Your chances of ever finding an actually worn example are slim , but for all I have seen this is as good looking as any and the patina , workmanship, and features of this example WOULD be worth buying , IF like the other guy says , the price is fair. Being a comemorative badge means if you want one, buy the best one you can find that makes you happy, and be happy. So I give it a IMO, and say it's worth chancing ,unless the price becomes an issue being price prohibitive, but with a guarantee, that might change things some (doubt there is any guarantee ).

[Don D.]

Thanks Don.

He's not a very smart seller. He's posted a whole lot of docs in one go and immediately you can tell from the close similarities of all of them in terms of paper, design elements and unit stamps that they're all fakes created by the same person.

I've re-posted the relevant pic here. I find it interesting that the illustration on the document is the design used for Sepp Dietrich's 2nd badge; the only one of it's kind supposedly ever made.

I believe this style was Sepp's first badge as later war photos show him wearing a Juncker/Meybauer style badge.

[Brian L.]

I believe this style was Sepp's first badge as later war photos show him wearing a Juncker/Meybauer style badge.

By 2nd I actually just meant his other badge, not numerical 2nd. Thanks for articulating the sequence. However, wasn't his 1st badge a specially made badge, just for him? As I understood it, it was a "one off".

[Don D.]

Certainly never saw another one like it.

[Brian S]

I like the badge that started this thread. Is it real, I don't know. But I have a good feeling about it.

[Johnny R]

Here is an old short article on the badge. Very few were awarded but I am sure like other awards several times more than that were manufactured.

http://www.militarytrader.com/milita...man_tank_badge