Some Interesting PABs

[robert60446]

Guys,
Speaking about the PAB from post#1. Please check the picture from "Panzer Postkarte". Amazing similarity isn't!!?

[robert60446]

Now, picture from postcard and PAB together...Same features: slim tank barrel, strange eagle and no machine gun!

[robert60446]

And one more zoom on the picture from postcard...

[Marc Garlasco]

Hmm, I have a feeling we will be seeing these in a PAB book in the future...
Marc

[skip]

Like Frank says, the screwback daisy is amazing and extremly desirable, especially as totally flatbacked. Is it Cupal?

I believe Philippe now has Marks one thats like the first one shown. Would love to find one of those as well.

Like they say Bob, take your time and show them all, I´m enjoying seeing such "freaky" badges.

Skip

[Philippe DB]

Hi Guys,


Well a guy is out of town for a few days and then this gets posted.

First of all thanks for sharing this with us Bob, much appreciated.

Lets start with the first PAB posted. As Skip wrote above I have a similar example that once belonged to Mark and I'm still very gratefull that when the time came to part with it I was the first one he contacted.

This badge was discussed in the past but apart from Mark's example this is only the second one I have ever seen.

When it comes to this PAB I have developed my one theory that i can't proof but makes perfect sense to me.

This is a mid to late war zinc badge that is completely different both in design and less in size from the PAB's we know.

However there is a logic in it's difference in fact if you study it carefully you will see that who ever designed this only had one thing on his mind, how to improve/make more realistic, the original PAB design.

Here are the big differences compared to the known PAB design

1. The eagle, weak point of every PAB. On this badge is significantly bigger with much more detailing and eye for realisme

2. The wreath leaves more room for the oakleves that on normal PAB's tend to grow over or touch the wreaths outer sides.

3. The panzer itself, here most proof for improvement can be found

a. Wider and more realistic track base
b. The tracks itself are much closer to the real thing.
c. Flat and not domed cupola, also much more realistic
d. Realistic "darkening devices" on the headlamps
e. Coaxial machine gun "blob" is gone. Here we see a much more realistic construction with a better proportined gun.

The only part were the design falls short of the known PAB is the fact that the right side of the turret seems to have been sacrificed. But then again was it ever present on the original design, probably not but with the "fat" guns obsuring that side we just never noticed it as much as on this design.

Question remains: What is this?

Was this design ever authorised, officialy manufactured and awarded? Untill now I'm still looking for a picture of one in wear and it shouldn't be to difficult to recognize it.

Who knows, taken in to account its rarety this maybe never was anything else then a study to see how the original design of the PAB could be improved upon. your guess is as good as mine.

Here is my (ex Mark) example

KR
Philippe

[Philippe DB]

reverse

[Philippe DB]

On the second one.

Well this for sure also is one of my all time favourite PAB's, the 3 layered "Cupal" (?) Porsche.

Bob you seem to be certain that this is a massive aluminium badge. Based upon what I can see by looking at my badge I'm not so sure.

This badge clearly is made out of three layers (cfr. pics) and as such absolutely unique (as far as PAB's are concerned) in the way in which it was made.

First you have a rather thick top layer that seems to be made out of somekind of copper, in between you have a very thick aluminium looking layer and the reverse is a very thin sheet of metal that looks the same as the obverse apart from its thickness.

Is the layer in the middle pure aluminium. I don't know but the weight of this badge (19,10 grams) leads me to believe that it's something else and my best guess would be that it is indeed Cupal which in fact was somekind of "ersatz" aluminium if I'm not mistaken.

Where are some pics that show the layered construction.

KR
Philippe

[Philippe DB]

detail 2

[Philippe DB]

and the exposed core material, it sure looks like pure aluminium, doesn't it?

KR
Philippe

[Philippe DB]

And then of course we have number 3 the gorgious screwback 1 pattern daisy.

For me the massive construction of this badge was more interesting to see then the screwback layout.

In fact this badge doesn't exist as a pin back variant. The only known 1pattern daisies are hollow badges. if we accept that the scooped massive zinc Daisy is made by the same manufacturer then it for sure did come out of a completely new die.

The fact that Bob's example is made out of buntmetall as such makes perfect sense. Based upon quite a few "one of a kind" screwback PAB's I had the pleasure of seeing lately it's my firm believe that most of these badge were custom made pieces at best part of very small series. Bob's badge for sure isn't a field adaptation, there simply never existed a badge to adapt. Well in this hobby you better never say never who knows when the first massive pin back buntmetall Daisy PAB will be posted.

The questions I would like to see answered are the following:

1. What kind of adaptation would have been needed to the production equipment to make this beauty? It for sure isn't simple to transfrom a hollow buntmetall badge in to a perfect flatback.

2. Why bother at all with these adaptations when it is perfectly feasible to add a screwback device to a hollow badge?

Thanks again for sharing these wonderfull PAB's Bob

KR
Philippe

[Don D.]

Philippe, that will teach you to go out of town and not check in once in a while.
Don