Engraved Para Badge

[stogieman]

Found this engraved Army para badge, with a $2400 price tag on it, at Manion's. Being a newbie, I'll keep my comments and ask for those of you who really know what's up with these to reply. Eric, Prosper?? Your thoughts?

[stogieman]

Reverse of this badge

Backside of the badge. Closeups to follow of engraving.

[stogieman]

Engraving Close-Up #1

First up close shot. Interesting style to the letters. Note the pin and safety catch, as well??

[stogieman]

Next and final close-up

And the final close-up shot of the badge

[Eric Queen]

Hi Rick,

This is a typical fake badge in 800 silver. Have seen at least a dozen or so over the past year named to different individuals, some of them ( like this one ) named to high profile people.

Olt. Frhr.von Brandis was commander of 1./FIB until the transfer on 1.1.39 at which point he became commander of 3./FJR 1, and in April 1940 he and his company took Sola airfield in Norway. He was killed a month later near the Dordrecht bridges in Holland.

I have also seen these named to Prager and Heidrich.

A real one of these badges, if you could ever find one, would probably be 4 times this price. I would doubt there are even a dozen in the world today due to the fact that there were so few to start with ( these were private purchase pieces, not issued ),

Hope this helps Rick, let me know if I can do anything else.

Eric

[stogieman]

My thoughts.........

.......... My thought's on this badge were held back, as I am testing myself really. I'd like an Army para, to go with my Luftwaffe one, bought when I saw this, I thought:
A) Credible engraving style, until you put von-Anybody, into the mix. An aristocrat would have had elegant gothic engraving, not this type of printing.
B) never saw this type of pin, hinge or catch.
C) details on eagle and wreath are inconsistent with known originals.
D) Live, learn and ask lots of questions!!

Thanks!!

[Willi Z.]

I have seen several of these engraved fakes. I heard that they are coming out of Hungary. I am learning quite a bit about APB's from Eric and Prosper. I also have some regrets........I regret not having bought a cased and engraed APB that Eric sold a few years ago......

Willi

[Prosper Keating]

As objects, these fake silver APBs are nicely made but they are not like the real thing. As had been said before, the silver badges were struck on the same dies as their aluminium counterparts. It can immediately be seen that these badges were not struck on the same dies as the 2nd pattern aluminium APB, the 2nd pattern 800 silver APB and the 1943 pattern APB in feinzink.

A) Credible engraving style, until you put von-Anybody, into the mix. An aristocrat would have had elegant gothic engraving, not this type of printing.

Yes. I see what you mean. But in the case of engraved prewar Army Para Badges, the engraving is always in the style of those shown in our article.


1st pattern engraved aluminium Army Paratrooper Badge

It is most likely that the engraving was done by Juncker to order as comparisons of the handiwork suggest that the same craftsman engraved all of the known, original private purchase silver badges...and an aluminium 1st pattern badge owned by Obergefreiter Sell. This engraving is nothing like that seen on originals.


1st pattern engraved 800 silver Army Paratrooper Badge

PK