pilot badge Meybauer

[aktinium]

Need help for this badge. Original?

[aktinium]

more pics

[gmu]

Not original

[Hagrid]

+1
Regards
Hagrid

[Don D.]

Definitely not the same as the one in their catalog.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=180063

[Ferg 1]

Whilst I agree with the general consensus regarding this badge , I do have one of these somewhere which is also marked Meybauer . This one shown has nothing like the fine detail of my example. This design type ( according to Baldes reference book) are from the Godet outlet. Although there are characteristic differences in depth of detail etc. Which points to these being possible restrikes . The interesting detail on the one I have or had ,not sure if I still have it, is the similarity to the production characteristics of normal Meybauer badges . If one looks at several Meybauer badges then you will see the edges quite often have voids or gaps where the two halves have not quite made contact ,this is typical of that maker ,also the edges are often polished , a trait of Meybauer that no other maker seemed to employ. This badge of mine also has these two details , not something that is usually seen as far as detail is concerned , in a fake.
Just my two pence worth.
Ferg

[Ron P]

Hello all. Is it a unanimous opinion this badge not period original? Regards, Ron.

[Don D.]

Yes.

[Ron P]

Yes.

Thank you.

[Gary Symonds]

If not period original, when were they made?

Any guess?

[VtwinVince]

Hi Gary,

Good question, the market has been flooded with these for quite some time.

[Gary Symonds]

Hi Gary,

Good question, the market has been flooded with these for quite some time.

That is a surprise.

I became a serious collector of German militaria in 1991.

In all those years I've only encountered two examples.

[VtwinVince]

I think the market was initially flooded with the typical Juncker-type fakes, but I've seen many of these Meybauer types in the last ten years. And of course there are the hordes of fake Schaper naval badges around. But it seems that the most heavily faked are still the Poellath badges.

[Hagrid]

Hi Gary!
I think this is the opportunity to show some pictures from my little private archive: Scraped together - over the years - from auctions, dealersites and forum posts.

This type of badge has it unsolved secrets regarding maker and faker ( top pun!).
As a start I´ll show the - in my opinion - original badge Ferg already mentioned:
The one Baldes attributes to the Godet firm in his book . Why he does so escapes me - aside from that Previtera shows a Godet marked Prinzen-size in his book with a entirely different design.... Stephen concedes superior craftmanship and convincing "art noveau"-Design to this type of badge and recommends further research (especially because of the variant MMs that occur - obviously there is the necessity of separating the wheat from the chaff ...)

The badges below have nice crisp and sharp details, good to be seen on the "Taube" closeup (esp. the spokes on both wheels!)
Both are made of nonprecious metal and therefore marked with the asterisk (a habit usually found in Austria - that might help to allocate the maker, maybe...)

In addition note -on the reverse side -the peculiar halfcircle-shaped pinbreak (repaired on the second one) and the elaborated ends of the tie-threads ...

Regards
Hagrid

[Hagrid]

To make sure what type of badge we are talking about I´ll like to point out some of their distinctive marks.

I´ve marked the prominent design features, so one can easily distinguish this type from others:

1. the rectangular outline of the typical bow with it´s thick strands
2. the bulbous crown, bigger than most others
3. this eagles feet and tailfeathers form little loops
4. the" Taube" has four stripes (air vents) and a pyramid-shaped nose
5. the wheels seem to dangle under the plane without any suspensions
6. the wood-patch is symbolised by two amoeba-shaped blodges

The specimen on the pictures is one of the examples notorious for a fake.