Assmann GAB in Bronze (?)

[Bob Hritz]

OK, Frank has embarrassed me into going through some of my assault badges. Here is an example, gotten in 1969 or 1970 (I wasn't dating each purchase then) from my Chicago newspaper ads.

Bob Hritz

[Bob Hritz]

Verso, with integral hinge and catch.


Bob Hritz

[Frank Heukemes]

Dear Bob,

Thank you. Good, I got you moving!

I had the chance to inspect this same type of GAB, with the same "bronze" finish in an old California collection. The only difference was that it came from the number "4" mold. It does not come through in your pictures, but now that i saw the bronze finish, I know what it looks like in reality. It can indeed be argumanted if it was a bronze finish right from the start and not just some discoloration caused by the years. Since it is just a slight bronze, not a really golden, saturated one, it was maybe just a way to give SOME of Assmann's injection molded GABs a special color. By far not all injection molded Assmann's have this finish. Most are undoubtedly silver washed.

[skip]

I´ve got a bronze washed Assmann as well. Always thought the silver had just evaporated. Can´t remember off hand which die number it is. I will look later when at home.
I also have the silver type but can find no trace of bronze coming through.

Skip

[Frank Heukemes]

Dear Skip,

I was thinking the same ("bronze plating under silver wash and wash gone"), but the GAB I inspected was mint enough to say that this finish was original to the badge. It was not so evident that it was "screaming", but enough so to say that it was not really silver. Maybe a certain "look" favoured by Assmann for some time.

[skip]

Here it is next to its silver brother. In fact the pin on the left one has a real bronze colour like you find on PABs and IABs!!

No idea how this came about. Maybe like you say, just an Assmann quirk.

Skip

[skip]

back

[MH184]

A silver washed 4


Frank mentioned a mold 4, just so others get the picture there were a series of molds I guess. So these molds Frank, would they have been used subsequently at the same time, or in a chronologial sense, mold three is kaput in detail etc now, we need a number 4 to go into production ? Or were there a series 1,2,3,4 etc spewing out badges ?

I've always been interested in these mold numbers and why they came about. If you saw a bronzey 4 type, perhaps it suggests 3 & 4 may have at least been running around the same time, if they had a spate of 'bronze' coloured/finished badges for what ever reason.

Any thoughts or theories on this, or will I have to wait for the book

[MH184]

ass4 rev

[Frank Heukemes]

Dear Marcus,

1-4 were used at the same time. Check out our Association member Albert's post and you will find a more recent one with good illustration s of such multiple injection molds. I do not further elaborate on this in the book.